Chris Gayle, the West Indies cricketing icon, has commended Virat Kohli, the Indian cricket superstar, for his enduring excellence. Chris Gayle believes that Virat Kohli, the former captain of the Indian team, has many more years of top-level performance ahead of him in all formats of the game.
Virat Kohli has made history by becoming the first cricketer to achieve 50 centuries in One Day Internationals (ODIs), surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49. Additionally, Kohli set a new milestone by amassing the highest number of runs in a single ICC Cricket World Cup, with an impressive total of 765 runs in the previous edition of the tournament.
Virat Kohli is still going and still going very strong- Chris Gayle
Speaking with Cricbuzz, Chris Gayle expressed his honor at being mentioned in the same context as all-format legends like Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.
“Those guys you mentioned, Sachin and Virat, the only two guys with over 50 ODI centuries. I don’t even have the words to describe them. And to be put in the same category as them is special. Very unique, the one and only Virat Kohli is still going and still going very strong. Still got a lot of years left in him to play all formats. We’ll see what calls he makes for himself and for Indian cricket as well,” said Chris Gayle.
He added,
“Sachin was the original trend-setter, with over 100 international centuries, which is remarkable as well. And like you said, the Universe Boss has brought entertainment and spice for all formats,”
Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the highest run-scorer across all formats, with 34,357 runs, while Virat Kohli is in fourth place with 26,733 runs. Chris Gayle has accumulated 19,593 runs in his remarkable international career, ranking 13th on the all-time list.
Perfect opportunity for the West Indies to showcase what they’re capable of in the shorter formats- Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle has urged the West Indies players to display their talent on the global stage in the upcoming T20 World Cup, especially since they did not qualify for last year’s 50-over event. After failing to qualify for the Super 12 stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup, the West Indies team has shown a resurgence in T20Is, winning three of their last four series.
“A lot of focus will be on the Caribbean and the West Indies team. After what happened in the men’s 50-over World Cup, which we didn’t even make it to. This is the perfect opportunity for the West Indies to showcase what they’re capable of in the shorter formats. Two-time champions, don’t forget,” Chris Gayle said.
Gayle added,
“Give the people in the Caribbean something to cheer about. We have a very good squad and we can do well. Go all the way into the knockouts, then into the final and lift the trophy. That will be something phenomenal and for the Caribbean fans globally. We have a lot to play for. We have to play our A game, and we have the players to do that,”
Chris Gayle played a pivotal role in the West Indies’ victories in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2012 and 2016. The upcoming 2024 edition will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States, with the tournament commencing on June 1st.
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