Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt hit out at Virat Kohli's critics for undermining India’s batting superstar’s recent centuries in limited-overs cricket.
Kohli ended his century drought in the 2022 Asia Cup after 1021 days with an unbeaten knock of 122 runs off 61 balls against Afghanistan in Team India's last Super-Four match of the tournament. It was Kohli’s 71st international ton, and since then he has been performing brilliantly with the bat.
The dashing right-hander also played a stunning knock of 113 runs off 91 balls against Bangladesh during his last ODI outing in December 2022, followed by another score of 113 runs in 87 balls in the first ODI against Sri Lanka in Guwahati.
However, many felt Kohli has only scored centuries against weaker teams like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka since returning to form, and Butt termed such talks completely rubbish by saying there’s a limit to criticizing someone.
Salman Butt said on his YouTube channel: “Koi hadd hoti hai kisi ke khilaaf hone ki (There’s a limit to criticising someone). He scored a century against Afghanistan at the Asia Cup. They have a strong bowling attack. How many batters have scored a century against them?
People often say that it is a weak team or a flat track whenever Kohli scores a century. That guy has done it 73 times. I don’t know why certain fans do this. This guy is a cricketing genius.”
The 2009 T20 World Cup winner also described Kohli’s unbeaten knock of 82 against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup 2022 as very special at the iconic MCG.
Butt signed off by saying, “Virat Kohli’s knock against Pakistan during the T20 World Cup was a very special one. It’s never easy to play in such a fashion, especially when you are going through a form slump. Such knocks take a player to the next level.”
The former India captain’s remarkable knock helped the Men in Blue beat Pakistan by four wickets in a last-ball thriller in the 2022 T20 World Cup. The 34-year-old was India’s highest run-scorer in the tournament.
