'Virat Kohli is the best Indian batter ever and not Sachin Tendulkar, Gavaskar or Dhoni': Ex-India star stirs major debate with hot take; provides reason

As superstar Virat Kohli is gearing up to make his return to professional cricket in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL), the maverick batter has received profound appreciation from the ex-India star Navjot Singh Sindhu. As Sidhu is gearing up to make his comeback to the commentary box, he made a huge statement and deemed Kohli as the greatest. Indian batter ever'.

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"I have rated him as the best Indian batter ever. There are eras where I would put up my transistor and listen to Sunil Gavaskar bat against the West Indies, those are the 70s. The great West Indies fast bowlers, bunking school and just going out one period and listening to how he was batting and without a helmet, that was his era. He dominated for almost 15-20 years. Then came Tendulkar, another era. Then came Dhoni, and then came Virat. If you look at four, I would rate him as the best because he has adapted to all three formats," Sidhu told IndiaToday.in.

Why did Sindhu pick Kohli?

Sidhu provided his reasons for picking Kohli over all the legendary Indian batters who have graced the world of cricket. Sidhu pointed out Kohli's fitness, technical ability, longevity and adaptability to different formats as the major reasons why he stands ahead of the all the other Indian greats.

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"In the same way, his technical ability and the fittest of all of them. If you look at all four, he would be the fittest. Tendulkar had problems, in the latter stages of his career. Dhoni, he is fit. Virat is super fit. That holds him in good stead. It elevates him to a level, a few notches higher, that others have not been able to achieve. The longevity factor, gives him a plus. The adaptability factor is Sone Pe Suhaaga," Sidhu opined.

Where should Kohli bat for RCB?

With the T20 World Cup scheduled to be played after the conclusion of the IPL competition, there have been voices in the cricketing circuit that have urged Kohli to bat in the No.3 position for RCB in the upcoming season of the cash-rich tournament. The reason is that Kohli if part of India's T20 World Cup squad, is most likely to bat at the No.3 position.

Sidhu, however, doesn't believe in Kohli giving up the opening slot and wants the RCB superstar to continue leading the team's charge from the top.

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"I don't think so. It's what the team demands. You could be the greatest player in the world, which he is. But if your team is not winning, especially hasn't held the trophy once, then it's a blot that you would want to erase. It's not detrimental to him in anyway, because he has given his best and you could see it," the former India batter argued.

 

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