Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has reserved big praise for batting superstar Virat Kohli. According to Pathan, who played in the IPL for five teams but never managed to win a title, the 36-year-old right-handed Indian batter is the most important cricketer in the world as far as the face of cricket is concerned. Kohli is the third most followed sportsperson on Instagram with over 270 million followers.
While speaking in a video shared by Star Sports on X, Pathan, who has donned the hat of an expert and commentator after his retirement from professional cricket, said, “He (Kohli) is the most important cricketer in the world as far as the face of cricket is concerned. Cricket ke followers nahi hone ke bavjood bhi jo fans hai dusre sports ke, vo apko notice karne lagte hain. And why not? Virat Kohli has made himself that kind of a brand.”
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh and South African captain Faf du Plessis also featured in the viral video and praised Kohli.
“Virat Kohli, he’s one of those players, you know, who have that attitude of to win. He’ll do anything and everything on the cricket ground,” Harbhajan said.
“You get guys that are competitive, but you don’t get guys that are competitive every single ball of every single match,” Faf said about Kohli.
According to Kohli’s former RCB teammate Dale Steyn, Virat is one of the best batters in the world, and he has an attitude of never giving up.
“He is one of the best batters in the world, you know, one of the best players to ever play cricket. He will come at you; you can see his competitiveness. He will never give up,” Steyn said.
Former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop, who has now made a big name for himself as a commentator and cricket expert, said Virat’s impact in cricket is similar to LeBron James’s impact in basketball.
“Virat is to cricket what LeBron James is to basketball and beyond the sports, Ronaldo and Messi,” Bishop said.
Kohli, who is the all-time leading run scorer in IPL history, is all set to take the field for RCB on Saturday (March 22) during the first match of IPL 2025, which will be played between RCB and defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.
