"I have rated him as the best Indian batter ever" - Navjot Sidhu pays Virat Kohli the highest compliment ahead of IPL 2024
Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has rated Virat Kohli as the best Indian batter, ahead of competitors like Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, and MS Dhoni.
Kohli continues to break batting records, including recently becoming the fastest to 13,000 ODI runs and the first to 50 centuries in the format. The 35-year-old also broke Sachin Tendulkar's record for most runs in a single ODI World Cup edition with 765 runs in the tournament last year.
Speaking to India Today ahead of IPL 2024, Sidhu felt the ability to adapt to three formats makes Kohli the best-ever Indian batter.
"I have rated him as the best Indian batter ever. There are eras where I would put up my transistor and listen to Sunil Gavaskar bat against the West Indies, those are the 70s. He dominated for almost 15-20 years. Then came Tendulkar, another era. Then came Dhoni, and then came Virat. If you look at the four, I would rate him (Kohli) as the best because he has adapted to all three formats," said Sidhu.
Sidhu felt Kohli's fitness and longevity put him in a class of his own among the greats.
"In the same way, his technical ability and the fittest of all of them. If you look at all four, he would be the fittest. Tendulkar had problems in the latter stage of his career. Dhoni, he is fit. Virat is super fit. That holds him in good stead. It elevates him to a level, a few notches higher, that others have not been able to achieve. The longevity factor gives him a plus. The adaptability factor is Sone Pe Suhaaga," added Sidhu.
Kohli has scored over 26,000 runs with 80 centuries across formats in his international career.
The champion batter also boasts a remarkable batting average of over 49 in all three formats.
"It's what the team demands" - Navjot Sidhu on Virat Kohli's batting position in IPL 2024
Navjot Sidhu felt Virat Kohli's batting position for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in IPL 2024 should depend on the team's demands more than anything else.
Apart from his incredible numbers for India, the former skipper is also the IPL's all-time leading run-scorer with 7,263 runs in 237 games.
On Kohli's batting position in IPL 2024, Sidhu said:
"It's what the team demands. You could be the greatest player in the world, which he is. But if your team is not winning, especially hasn't held the trophy once, then it's a blot that you would want to erase. It's not detrimental to him in any way, because he has given his best and you could see it," said Sidhu.
Kohli opened the batting for RCB last season and scored an impressive 639 runs despite the side missing out on playoff qualification.
The franchise will look to break their title drought in the 2024 IPL season, which starts with a blockbuster clash against five-time champions Chennai Super Kings on March 22.