"He is the kind of figure Sachin Tendulkar was in 2011" - Harbhajan Singh on his expectations from Virat Kohli in World Cup 2023
Harbhajan Singh feels Virat Kohli will have the same stature at World Cup 2023 that Sachin Tendulkar had in the 2011 edition of the tournament.
Kohli was part of India's World Cup-winning squad in 2011 as a youngster. The Men in Blue haven't won a World Cup after that, and the modern batting great will want to end that barren run later this year in what could be his last chance to grab another trophy in the ODI format.
During an interaction with News24 Sports, Harbhajan was asked about his expectations from Kohli in the upcoming World Cup, to which he responded:
"He will have a huge role in the World Cup. He is the kind of figure Sachin Tendulkar was in 2011. The team should actually not put so much of pressure on him and rather take some pressure away from him by taking those responsible decisions that they will do the job."
The cricketer-turned-commentator wants the former Indian skipper to be allowed to play his natural game, elaborating:
"If the other guys do that job, I will say let Virat Kohli play his own game. When he plays his own game, the guy is unstoppable. He is a champion player, there is no doubt about it."
Kohli has been one of India's most consistent performers in ICC events. However, he managed a solitary run apiece in the 2015 and 2019 World Cup semi-finals and will want to give a better account of himself if India make the knockout stage this year.
"Set him slightly free in big matches" - Harbhajan Singh on Virat Kohli
Harbhajan Singh wants Virat Kohli to be given free rein in crunch games, stating:
"People say he is a chase master but I say whether you get him to chase or bat first, batting-wise he is probably the best. No one can be compared to him. But set him slightly free in big matches."
The former Indian spinner added that the World Cup hosts have enough quality batters who can do the job even if Kohli fails to deliver:
"Don't tell him that if Virat gets out, the match will be over. That should not happen. If Virat gets out, no issue, we will manage. We have Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill - they are all mighty players. So I hope the pressure on him is slightly reduced and he can play his game."
Kohli has amassed 12898 runs at an excellent average of 57.32 in 274 ODIs. Although he has endured a slightly lean run across formats since 2019, the Indian batting mainstay seems to be regaining his lost mojo, especially in ODI cricket. He has aggregated 427 runs, including two centuries, at an average of 53.37 in nine games this year.