"I will not judge him with 49 centuries" - Aakash Chopra on the parameters that define Virat Kohli's greatness
Aakash Chopra has highlighted that Virat Kohli's greatness cannot only be judged by the 49 ODI centuries he has scored.
Kohli equaled Sachin Tendulkar's record of 49 ODI tons with his unbeaten 101-run knock in India's 2023 World Cup league game against South Africa in Kolkata on Sunday. The Men in Blue won by a whopping 243 runs to ensure that they will finish as the table toppers.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that the longevity of Kohli's career is one of the parameters to judge his greatness (7:55)
"I will not judge him with 49 centuries. In my opinion, there are four parameters to judge greatness. The first parameter is the longevity - 14-15 years and counting.
"The guy is not stopping because he is extremely fit. The dedication and discipline with which he has led his life, his career is getting prolonged because of that."
The former India opener added that the modern batting great's stats are beyond doubt:
"After that, cold stats. Just check the number of runs or number of wickets, and the average. There is no doubt about that, sitting among the greatest to have played the game.
"If you see the greatest of any generation, you will find Kohli's numbers are standing next to them or better than them."
Kohli is the fourth-highest run-getter across formats in international cricket. He has amassed 26310 runs at an average of 54.24 in 571 innings and is behind only Sachin Tendulkar (34357), Kumar Sangakkara (28016) and Ricky Ponting (27483) on aggregate runs.
"He is a three-format player" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli
Aakash Chopra lauded Virat Kohli for his ability to adapt to different conditions and formats (8:45):
"The third thing is the adaptability, whether the player can adapt to different situations. He is a three-format player.
"If he can play three formats with the same technique and style, score four centuries in an IPL season, score centuries in every format for India, score double centuries in Test cricket, he is adaptable."
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the former India captain has made match-winning contributions and left a generational impact on the game:
"Last but not the least is the impact. One is the impact on the game - how many matches you win.
"Most of his centuries come in winning causes, almost 100% while chasing. Then his impact on cricket, a generation is playing cricket because of what Virat Kohli has done."
Chopra concluded by observing that Kohli hasn't left any box unticked. The 35-year-old is a legitimate great of the game, and everyone is celebrating his 49th hundred because he has given them another opportunity to do so.