Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Gautam Gambhir heaped praise on Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer for their unbelievable batting show against South Africa at Eden Gardens in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.
2011 World Cup winner Gambhir believes that Kohli and Iyer were batting “on a different planet”, and deserve more adulation and credit than Rohit Sharma (40) and Shubman Gill (23).
Notably, Iyer played a brilliant knock of 77 runs off 87 balls, while Kohli made 101* off 121 balls, and added 134 runs for the third wicket to help Team India post 326/5 on the board.
In this match, Indian opener Rohit and Gill added 62 for the opening wicket in less than six overs against South Africa, but Gambhir feels Kohli and Iyer played more applaudable innings.
Gautam Gambhir said on Star Sports: “I believe Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli batted on a different planet. This was not the Wankhede or Delhi where the conditions are easy throughout the innings. Here it was easy at the start and became difficult in the middle and at the end. So, I believe both should be praised more than Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.”
He added, “Spin was going to be the biggest challenge. The way the two of them batted against Keshav Maharaj, he might have conceded just 30 runs but the important thing was that he picked up just one wicket, and because of that South Africa had to get their fast bowlers back.”
Later, South Africa bowled out an 83-run run, and India won the match by 243 runs. Ravindra Jadeja picked 5/33, while Mohammad Shami and Kuldeep Yadav took two scalps each.
(With PTI/IANS Inputs)
