India captain Virat Kohli achieved yet another milestone in his glittering career as he became the first batsman to score 20,000 international runs in a decade. He achieved the feat during the just-concluded three-match ODI series against Australia.
The right-hander scored consecutive half-centuries but that couldn’t stop his team from going down 1-2 in the series. However, Kohli also achieved the record of scoring 12,000 ODI runs during the third and final game on Wednesday.
Data check: Outstanding Virat Kohli is the fastest to 12000 runs in ODIs
Reflecting on the 32-year-old’s stellar run, former India batsman VVS Laxman said that Kohli’s desire to succeed at all times is what sets him apart.
“I think the way he has played in each and every series, the kind of intensity he has maintained each and every day, when he’s on the cricket field is unbelievable, because at some stage I thought that will be the biggest challenge for Virat Kohli, at some stages he will burn out, but not even once we have seen that energy drop down when Virat is on the cricket field, whether he is batting or he is fielding,” said Laxman on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.
Former opener Gautam Gambhir too hailed Kohli for his immense contribution to Indian cricket over the years.
“You can take anything, you can actually do whatever you want, but the best feeling in the world is, when you score that last run and comeback to your hotel room and you’re so satisfied that you’ve done something for your country, what you were meant to do. So probably, all those combinations have made him what he is, and hats off to him, he’s scored more than 20,000 runs, centuries all that,” said Gambhir.
Laxman added: “And under pressure, because if you see his one-day record how many Hundreds did he get while chasing and then you know that you’ve got a target to achieve, there’s always scoreboard pressure on him, but he relishes pressure, he relishes responsibility and that’s what gets the best out of him.”
