"Rohit and Virat are completely different players" - Dilip Vengsarkar points out differences between the two stars of Indian cricket
Former Indian cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar recently said that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are vastly different players despite their tremendous success.
Rohit and Kohli have been the batting mainstays for India across formats over the past decade, setting and breaking several records in the process. While Kohli recently became the fastest to 13,000 ODI runs, Rohit became the second-fastest to score 10,000 ODI runs.
Speaking to India Today, Vengsarkar pointed to Kohli's fitness and the in-your-face attitude as a key differentiator with Rohit.
"Rohit and Virat are completely different players. Virat is extremely fit, Rohit is talented, both are talented. If Rohit works hard on his fitness, he can play for five more years," Vengsarkar said.
"Rohit Sharma had a bit of a laid-back attitude, unlike Virat because Virat was there in the face," he continued. "He was aggressive and positive. Rohit is a tremendously talented player, there's no question about his talent. His skill level and mental toughness is superb. His execution of shots is absolutely amazing."
The duo have been in outstanding form in the ongoing World Cup. Kohli is currently at the top of the run-charts with 711 runs, while Rohit is at fifth with 550 runs.
Their heroics have led India to an unbeaten run after 10 games in the tournament and a comfortable route to the final.
"Virat has been simply outstanding" - Dilip Vengsarkar
Dilip Vengsarkar hailed Virat Kohli for his magnificent batting form throughout the 2023 World Cup. The 35-year-old broke Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record of 49 ODI centuries by scoring his 50th ton in the semi-final against New Zealand.
He also broke Tendulkar's single World Cup scoring record of 673 runs (2003 World Cup) by scaling the 700-run mark.
"When you see the skill level, the mental toughness of the players, there are only a few players who have gone on to achieve what he has in international cricket. Virat has been simply outstanding, the way he's played so far," Vengsarkar said.
Dilip Vengsarkar was the chairman of selectors when Virat Kohli was first selected to the Indian side in the 2008 tour of Sri Lanka. And 15 years later, the champion batter has over 26,000 international runs with a remarkable 80 centuries.
Kohli will look to win his second ODI World Cup title after 2011 when India takes on Australia in the summit clash at Ahmedabad on Sunday, November 19.