'Most 37 Or 38-Year-Olds...': Virat Kohli Gets Huge Praise From South Africa Legend

Most 38-year-olds would dislike leaving home, but Virat Kohli’s dedication to cricket is unparalleled, says former South African pacer Dale Steyn. This follows Kohli’s 52nd ODI century in the series opener

against South Africa.

Despite retiring from T20Is and Tests, Kohli’s ODI performance remains unaffected.

“When you speak to most 37 or 38-year-olds, they say they hate leaving home, their dog, their kids. But he’s in a place mentally where he’s eager to be out there playing for India. You can see it when he’s running between the wickets, fielding and diving. He’s mentally young, fresh, and wants to be here,” Steyn was quoted as saying on JioStar.

“He’s played over 300 ODIs in 15-16 years, so the experience is inside him. It’s in his body and mind. Even if he arrived here after three days of rain, it wouldn’t have affected his preparation. He’s mentally strong, visualises well, and can see the ball onto the bat. That’s what the best in the world do.”

“They back themselves because they’ve been out there so many times. A key thing he said is that he’s excited about playing,” Steyn added.

Also Read: Sunil Gavaskar Unpacks Virat Kohli’s Record-Shattering Hundred: ‘Type Of Batter Who Can’t Go Bang-Bang’

Dale Steyn also lauded Rohit Sharma’s 57-run innings, during which he broke the former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi’s world record for most sixes in ODIs by hitting three maximums.

“He batted beautifully. He gave one opportunity to Tony de Zorzi, which could have changed the situation, but he capitalised well afterward. He loves those cover drives and flicks, comes down the wicket when he wants to, and puts bowlers under pressure,” the former South Africa pacer said.

“One particular shot summed up his innings for me: third man was up, point was up, and he just guided the ball delicately past short third man for four. It caught everyone off guard. He was reading the game superbly. He’s a fantastic batter. I love watching him, even though I never got him out,” Steyn added.

(With inputs from Agencies)