Former India bowler Venkatesh Prasad has slammed critics who call Virat Kohli “selfish” and “obsessed with personal milestones.” Prasad praised Kohli for being “selfish” in the right way in a scathing tweet on his X account.
Virat Kohli tied Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI tons on Sunday. On his 35th birthday, he hit 101* off 121 balls as India batted first and made 326/5 in the 2023 World Cup match against South Africa at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The Indian bowlers subsequently dismissed the Proteas for 83 runs in 27.1 overs.
While Virat Kohli received praise for his good performance, some said that he was being selfish and playing for personal benefit. The hitter slowed down at the conclusion of the inning, according to the criticism. Prasad threw his support to Kohli, writing on his X handle:
“Hearing funny arguments about Virat Kohli being Selfish and obsessed with personal milestone. Yes Kohli is selfish, selfish enough to follow the dream of a billion people, selfish enough to strive for excellence even after achieving so much, selfish enough to set new benchmarks, selfish enough to ensure his team wins. Yes, Kohli is selfish.”
On Sunday, Virat Kohli hit 10 fours and added 134 runs for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer (77 off 87).
Virat Kohli’s Humble Response After Matching Tendulkar’s Record of 49 ODI Centuries
After being awarded Player of the Match for his record-equaling 49th ODI century, Virat Kohli dismissed the Tendulkar parallels, admitting that he will never be as brilliant as his hero.
During the post-match presentation ceremony, he stated:
“To equal my hero’s record in ODIs is something that is a huge honor for me. I know that people like comparisons but I am never going to be as good as him [Sachin]. There’s a reason why we’ve all looked up to him. He’s perfection when it comes to batting… he’s always going to be my hero regardless of what happens.”
“It’s a very emotional moment for me. I know where I come from, I know the days that I’ve watched him play on TV, so just to stand here and get this appreciation from someone like him means a lot to me,” Kohli added, while reacting to Tendulkar praising him on social media.
Virat Kohli
The previous captain of India is the second-highest scorer in the 2023 World Cup. He’s made 543 runs in eight turns, averaging 108.60 and striking at 88.29.