19-year-old Australian cricketer Sam Konstas has expressed admiration for Kohli at a time when Indian cricket star Virat Kohli is facing criticism for his poor performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Sam Konstas stated that he has admired Kohli since childhood and holds him in high regard.
Sam Konstas revealed that he considers Kohli his idol and has even conveyed this to the Indian batsman personally. He added that his entire family are fans of Kohli. Sharing his experience of playing alongside the Indian legend, Sam Konstas described it as a great honor. “Kohli is a legend and an inspiration to me. Despite being a superstar, he remains humble,” Konstas remarked. He further noted that Kohli wished him success for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour, expressing his hope to perform well.
Sam Konstas brilliant run of form earns him a call to the Australian National Team and his performance in BGT 2024-25
Sam Konstas has been in magnificent form in the Sheffield Shield being the second-highest run scorer for New South Wales (NSW) with 471 runs from eight innings at an average of 58.87 with two hundreds and one fifty.
Earlier, he also scored a magnificent hundred for Prime Minister’s XI against India during the pink-ball warm up fixture. Sam Konstas scored a sensational 107 (97) with the help of 14 fours and a six as he guided his team to a score of 240. He also scored a match-winning unbeaten 73 in the second unofficial Test against India A.
Sam Konstas represents New South Wales as a right-handed opener. He was born in Sydney and is an Australian of Greek descent. He made his Big Bash League debut this month for Sydney Thunder. Sam Konstas didn’t have a memorable outing in his first game after earning his maiden call up as he got dismissed for a three-ball duck. He got dismissed for a three-ball duck in his second Big Bash League match for Sydney Thunder against Sydney Sixers.
Having replaced Nathan McSweeney for the last two Tests vs India, Sam Konstas is set to make his international debut against world-class bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj. The 19-year-old is expected to open the innings with Usman Khawaja in Melbourne. Both sides played out a draw in Brisbane, courtesy of rain, and the series is currently level at 1-1. The visitors began the 2024 Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a win in Perth, to take a 1-0 lead. Then the hosts bounced back in Adelaide, which was also a pink-ball affair, to level the series.
The On-Field Incident Between Sam Konstas with Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah
During the first day of the Boxing Day Test, a minor altercation occurred between Virat Kohli and Sam Konstas. As Kohli passed by, he tapped Konstas on the shoulder, appearing to taunt the young player. This led to a reprimand from the match referee, resulting in a 20% fine on Kohli’s match fee. However, after the match, both players had a conversation and posed for photos together, putting an end to any tension.
Regarding a separate incident involving Jasprit Bumrah, Sam Konstas admitted that he was at fault and said such occurrences are common in cricket, indicating that he did not take the issue seriously.
After assessing his performance on the field former England pacer Steve Harmison made a bold prediction regarding Sam Konstas test future going forward.
Ashes-winning bowler Steve Harmison’s massive statement on Sam Konstas after BGT 2024-25
Ashes-winning bowler Steve Harmison has made a bold prediction about Sam Konstas’ Test career. The former England pacer thinks the batter will either last less than 10 Tests or go on to become a superstar for the Australian cricket team.
Sam Konstas made his Test debut for Australia in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India. The youngster impressed straightaway by scoring a quickfire half-century on debut, taking world number one bowler Jasprit Bumrah to the cleaners.
However, Steve Harmison was not sure if Sam Konstas had the right defensive technique to survive in Test cricket. On TalkSport Cricket, he said:
“Part of me thinks Sam Konstas won’t play even 10 Test matches. Part of me thinks this kid can be an absolute superstar if he delivers. He’s got the chat, he’s got the ramps, he’s got the scoops, he’s got the big shots, but has he got a defensive technique to open the batting in Test match cricket against the world’s best?”
Sam Konstas scored 113 runs in two Tests against India. He maintained a strike rate of 81.88, but his average was less than 30 in the series.
Steve Harmison gives honest opinion on Sam Konstas
During the same show, Steve Harmison further spoke about Sam Konstas’ game and felt that the youngster was trying to bat like former Australian opener David Warner. However, in Harmison’s view, Konstas’ technique is nowhere near Warner’s.
“I look at him and think he just wants to be David Warner and technically he’s nowhere near as good as David and that for me, if he is opening the batting against England, I’d be happy. I really would. I know we are a really long way away from The Ashes,” Harmison concluded.
Australia will play their next Test series against Sri Lanka away from home. It will be interesting to see if Sam Konstas is on the flight to Sri Lanka.