Virat Kohli is the second highest run-getter for India in international cricket after Sachin Tendulkar.
Former India cricketer Harbhajan Singh had backed a young Virat Kohli to go past Rahul Dravid’s tally of international runs. Kohli, who made his India debut in 2008, has 28527 runs in 565 games across international cricket for India.
He went past Rahul Dravid’s record of 24064 runs in 504 international games for India, while Sachin Tendulkar holds the record with 34357 runs in 664 games for India across formats.
Regarding Kohli's debut, Harbhajan stated that he saw the young player's extraordinary skill right away and thought he may eventually surpass Dravid's record for international runs.
"He had a lot of talent, but I wasn't sure he would do what he has gone on to do. I remember in 2008 he immediately scored a half-century when Ajantha Mendis was unplayable. At that time, I told him that if he didn't break Rahul Dravid's numbers, he wouldn't have justified his talent. There was a huge change in Kohli in just two years. His hunger and desire to win were different," said Harbhajan on the Prakhar Gupta podcast.
During that series against Sri Lanka, Kohli scored 159 runs in five matches, including a half-century in the fourth ODI. India went on to win the series 3-2.
Harbhajan Singh also credited Virat Kohli for improving the Indian team’s fitness levels and for making the Indian team’s fielding a lethal one in world cricket.
"The improvement in fitness levels in Indian cricket should be credited fully to Kohli. No one takes Indian cricket's fielding lightly anymore, and that's a credit to Virat Kohli and his team. He changed the entire system of fitness. And his hunger is still the same: to be the one to win the match for India. He's so passionate, and that's the difference between him and everyone else," said Harbhajan.
Kohli will be in action for India in the upcoming five-game ODI series in New Zealand, which begins on November 4.