Virat Kohli and Sir Viv Richards very much comparable in batting style: Sunil Gavaskar

Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has garnered much recognition from all quarters of the cricketing fraternity. Moreover, cricketer-turned-commentator Sunil Gavaskar has now compared his batting style to that of former West Indies captain and batting icon Viv Richards. Sunil Gavaskar recently appeared on Star Sports’ Show Winning the Cup – 1983 where he spoke about the batting techniques of Virat Kohli and Sir Viv Richards.

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Sunil Gavaskar compares Virat Kohli with Sir Viv Richards

In the show, Sunil Gavaskar said that it was very difficult to keep Viv Richards quiet when he was at the crease. The former Indian captain further emphasised on his similarities with Virat Kohli by saying that both batsmen use a similar grip for playing their shots. Sunil Gavaskar said that while facing a ball with the same line and length, both Virat Kohli and Viv Richards use their top hand to score a boundary towards the extra cover region. He further stated that both cricketers use their bottom hand in a similar manner for hitting a boundary towards the mid-on and mid-wicket region.

Sunil Gavaskar went ahead and claimed his similarities with Viv Richards as the reason why Virat Kohli is often considered as the No.1 player. The 125-Test veteran claimed that former Indian batsmen like Gundappa Vishwanath and VVS Laxman also used to bat in a similar manner.

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Viv Richards admires Virat Kohli’s passion

Apart from Sunil Gavaskar’s recent comparison between Virat Kohli and Viv Richards, the West Indian legend compared himself with the Indian captain. In August 2019, the two-time World Cup-winning cricketer said that he always wanted to express himself while batting in the best way he can. He later stated that he sees the same passion for the game in Virat Kohli as well.

Virat Kohli’s conversation with Viv Richards, watch video

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Javed Miandad talks about Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar comparison

In a recent interview with The Telegraph earlier this month, former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad stated that it is unfair to compare modern-day batsmen to the batting icons of his generation. The 124-Test veteran, who represented Pakistan between 1976 and 1996, was of the opinion that batting was “tough” during his playing days due to the quality of pacers and the presence of bouncier wickets. He believes batsmen like Sunil Gavaskar and to some extent Sachin Tendulkar had to adapt to different conditions which ultimately displayed their grit and class. However, the 124-Test veteran also said Virat Kohli has been “admirable” among modern-day batsmen due to his consistent run-scoring abilities.

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Image credits: Official Twitter accounts of BCCI and ICC