On November 15, 2013, as Sachin Tendulkar got out and was walking towards the pavilion in India whites for the last time, Virat Kohli, a 25-year-old right-hander, entered the field. Kohli then struck a scintillating half-century, indicating that the baton had been passed.
Since then, the right-hander has made enormous strides and is now often regarded as the poster boy of international cricket. While India has over the years produced several great cricketers but perhaps none more flamboyant than Kohli.
Despite his recent struggles in the traditional format, the former India captain was named by former Australia cricketer Ian Chappell as the best Test batter of the current generation.
Chappell picked Virat over the likes of Steve Smith, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Babar Azam, and Marnus Labuschagne.
The former cricketer described the 33-year-old as a fine player and a fiercely competitive personality adding that Virat needs to ‘rekindle the magic' with the bat.
“Kohli is a fine player with a great stroke range, a highly competitive nature, and a thoughtful approach to batting. When asked why he doesn't indulge in typical short-form risky shots, he replied by saying, I don't want them to creep into my Test game. However, whatever the case - the ageing process, or his having retired as captain - Kohli's output has started to wane and he needs to rekindle the magic," he wrote for ESPNCricinfo.
He further remarked that the centuries in both innings of the Adelaide Test in 2014 is his favorite knock of the ‘King’.
"It's hard to choose the best player from that talented group. And when you consider that some old-timers preferred Victor Trumper's artistic style over the acknowledged best batter, Sir Donald Bradman, the difficulty is not surprising. From among these players on their best days, it's hard to surpass the highly competitive Kohli. His twin centuries in a failed but brave victory attempt at Adelaide Oval in 2014 remain my favorite innings among those produced by this group," he added.
The veteran batter has 8074 runs in 102 Tests, averaging just under 50 while also hitting 27 tons including 7 double hundreds.
(ESPNcricinfo Inputs)
