IND vs SL 2017: VVS Laxman termed Virat Kohli as a trend-setter of his generation

Kohli has piled up 52 tons in international cricket thus far.

Kohli recorded his second double hundred of the series | AFP

Former India batsman VVS Laxman has lauded Virat Kohli for raising the bar high with his every outing on the cricket field. The Indian captain struck his sixth double ton in Test cricket within a span of just 17 months at his home ground Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi against Sri Lanka on Sunday (December 3).

It was Virat’s second double hundred of the series and now the 29-year-old has equalled the legendary Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag in the list of most double tons by an Indian in Test cricket. In the previous Test at Nagpur, Kohli had notched up his fifth double hundred in Test cricket with a scintillating inning of 213 as India humiliated the Lankans by an innings and 239 runs.

"You can't compare two generations. Sachin Tendulkar was the trend-setter of our generation. He used to go out and win matches for India and we thought we will do that and I see that in Virat. He has become the trend-setter of his generation and a role model," VVS Laxman said while speaking at Agenda Aaj Tak.

With his marathon knock of 243, the Delhi lad also surpassed West Indian batting great Brian Lara (5) as a captain to boast most double centuries to his name. Kohli has now joined the likes of Wally Hammond, Don Bradman, Kumar Sangakkara, Vinod Kambli and Michael Clarke to score successive double hundreds in Test cricket.

Watch – Top 5 Virat Kohli moments in ODI cricket

Speaking on Kohli's achievements on the field, former India captain Sourav Ganguly present in the same event said: "When we used to go to Australia, there was a gut feeling Laxman and Harbhajan will defeat Australia on their own. Kohli gives me the same feeling."

"When we played, Indian cricket was different and the thinking was different and we had to take Indian cricket forward, when Dhoni came, he took it forward. Now during Virat's time he had an established team and he had to take it even further.

"The best thing about Indian cricket is that we have had different role-models in different eras. It has been a step by step growth and we have created champions in different generations. Kohli is the role model now," Dada further said.

"If Virat wins the World Cup in 2019, he will roam around Oxford Street with his shirt off. Mark my words," Ganguly amusingly concluded.

Read More: Virat Kohli halfway through to Sachin Tendulkar 

Kohli's 20th Test ton also witnessed him amassing 3000 Test runs as captain. He is the third Indian skipper after MS Dhoni and Gavaskar to achieve this feat.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 04 Dec, 2017

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