Gautam Gambhir thinks Virat Kohli’s exceptional skill as a modern batting great is his capability to score runs everywhere in the world.
India beat Australia in the 2nd Test match on 19 February by six wickets after Kohli scored 20 runs off 31 balls. Earlier in the day, the Indian bowlers bowled out the Australians for 113 runs, giving the hosts a clear advantage.
During a post-match discussion on Star Sports, Gambhir was asked about Virat Kohli passing the 25,000-run mark in international cricket. He said, “I am not aware of the other players on the list, but Virat Kohli’s biggest speciality is that his performances have been the same in India, Australia, and South Africa.”
The former Indian opener continued, saying batters’ abilities should be appraised comprehensively. He said, “The list might include an Australian batsman or another batsman; to make an accurate comparison, you’ll need to look at their performance in both the domestic and subcontinental regions. It is his primary area of expertise, and the pace with which he has acquired his run tallies is impressive.”
In international cricket, Kohli is the fastest batsman to score 25,000 runs in 549 innings. Five other cricketers—Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting, Mahela Jayawardene, and Jacques Kallis have also reached this milestone.
Gambhir noted that Kohli is most comfortable in ODIs but also outstanding in Test matches. Gambhir made this claim “Indeed; he is not only a master of the 50-over game but also the lengthier Test match. He has made 27 hundred and 28 fifties. Having scored hundreds in Australia, England, South Africa, and the West Indies, it’s hard to imagine a more amazing achievement.”
Therefore, Gautam Gambhir concluded that only a great player like Kohli could have accomplished what he has. Scoring 25000 runs is a lifetime achievement, and I’m not saying he wouldn’t have experienced both ups and downs in his career. Only a truly exceptional player would be able to maintain such a high level of consistency regardless of the ups and downs of the game, which would require adapting attitude, technique, strengths, weaknesses, dismissals, and intense emotional state.”
Kohli has scored 25012 runs at a stunning average of 53.56 across all formats. He has the highest batting average among all batters who have scored 25,000 runs.