Virat Kohli has 81 international centuries to his name.
Ever since his emergence as Pakistan's best batter across formats, Babar Azam has been widely compared with his more experienced Indian counterpart Virat Kohli.
Sharing his two cents on this debate, former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir hailed Kohli as the greatest batter of this generation and shunned comparisons between the Indian talisman and any other stars of the modern era like Babar, Steve Smith and Joe Root.
According to Amir, Kohli's consistency and ability to win matches across all formats sets him apart from his contemporaries.
"Virat Kohli is the greatest player of this generation. I laugh when comparisons are made between him and Babar Azam, Steve Smith, or Joe Root. We cannot compare Virat Kohli to anyone because he has won so many matches for India, which seems impossible for any one player. Not just in one format, but in all three formats, Virat is the greatest batsman of this generation," Amir said on the Cricket Predicta Show.
Amir also lauded Kohli’s work ethic, emphasizing his remarkable comeback after a difficult phase in England in 2014.
"Virat Kohli’s work ethic sets him apart from all players. After his bad phase in England in 2014, the way he made a comeback and then consistently performed brilliantly for the next 10 years was no ordinary feat," he added.
He called Kohli’s wicket crucial in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, where Pakistan defeated India by 180 runs to clinch the coveted title.
"His wicket in the 2017 Champions Trophy final was very important for us, which helped us win the final. If Virat had not been dismissed, we would have lost the final because we all know how exceptional Virat’s record is while chasing runs," Amir remarked.
Amir, who retired from international cricket last week, also recalled the dismissal of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar in the 2009 Champions Trophy.
"Dismissing Sachin Tendulkar was the most special moment for me. I bowled to him only once in my life during the 2009 Champions Trophy, which was held in South Africa, and dismissed him while playing against India," Amir said.
The dismissal, which came only in his second year of international cricket, left Amir in disbelief. "For three days after his dismissal, I was not in my senses; I could not believe I had taken Sachin paaji’s wicket," he said.