'Best-ever in history of ODIs': Despite rumours of rift, Sourav Ganguly lauds Virat Kohli

Sourav Ganguly heaps praise on Virat Kohli claiming the Indian batsman is the best player in the history of ODI cricket. India’s fate in the World Test Championship final was reliant on how Kohli fared in the one-off final. India’s performance in an ICC major tournament has been very disappointing in the last few years.

Kohli has been a mainstay in the Indian batting lineup and he will be a vital cog as the next ICC Cricket World Cup will be hosted by India later. While speaking with the broadcaster, Ganguly insisted Kohli could withstand this kind of situation. 

Sourav Ganguly makes a massive claim on Virat Kohli

"India will have to make sure that the new ball starts getting older. because batting becomes a bit easier when it starts getting older. It's only seven overs old at this stage and hopefully, they can battle it. Pujara has been in this situation before, Kohli has been in this situation before.

"They both have looked solid for whatever little bit they have played. But it's about batting for a longer period. Batting for six hours, batting for eight hours, and seeing the team through. You look at Kohli's record once the opposition scores more than 400. Six hundreds, average is 92.8, 1200 Test runs and I think us, the dressing room, and Kohli himself wouldn't mind that six is to be seven Test hundreds.

Read More: WTC Final, IND vs AUS Day 2 Live Score

"In the commentary, I was talking about an innings which I saw against James Anderson in 2018 when India came in for a five-match test series. Kohli got a hundred in the second innings at Birmingham. It was an inning of discipline. He left deliveries outside the off stumps as he has already done today a few times just before tea."

He further added, "He knows how to score runs in this condition. He is a great player. His test record is very good. His One day record is probably the best ever in the history of ODI cricket and he will know what the situation requires."

WTC Final XIs

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland

India XI: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Srikar Bharat(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj