Former Pakistan batsman Ahmed Shehzad has said not only Babar Azam but no other player should be compared with Virat Kohli. He hailed the Indian superstar as the ‘legend of our generation’ and said that Team India would not have been able to win the T20 World Cup without him.
Virat Kohli starred with the bat in the final as India beat South Africa by 7 runs to win the recently-concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Batting first, India were reeling at 34 for 3 with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav back in the hut. India had their back against the wall.
However, Virat Kohli stood firm at one end and scored a brilliant 76 to take the team to a competitive total of 176 for 7. India went to restrict South Africa to 169/8 to register a monumental victory and end their long wait for a World Cup title.
The knock in the final also ended Kohli’s poor run with the bat in the tournament. In 7 games before the final, the former India skipper had managed to score only 75 runs. However, he roared back to form just when his team needed his services the most.
Virat Kohli is a legend of our generation: Ahmed Shehzad
Ahmed Shehzad has heaped praise on Virat Kohli and has hailed him as a legend. Time and again, Babar Azam has been compared with the India batting stalwart. However, Shehzad laughed off the comparisons and said that no player should be compared with Kohli. He also praised the India star for his passion for the game, pointing out how he celebrated every wicket in the final.
“Virat Kohli is a legend of our generation. Every time he stepped on the field, he played the game with the same enthusiasm. Even in his last T20I, Virat was celebrating at long-on and long-off whenever a wicket fell. He did not score runs in the entire T20 World Cup, but when things are written in your destiny, you will get them.
He scored runs in the final when nobody else stood up with the bat. India would never have won the T20 World Cup final without Virat Kohli’s innings. He is leaving a great legacy in the T20Is. Good luck to Indian Cricket trying to fill his massive shoes. No one should compare Babar Azam or any other cricketer to him,” Ahmed Shehzad told reporters in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, Kohli announced his retirement from T20Is after the final. The right-handed batsman has retired from T20Is as the second-highest run-scorer in the format. He is also the all-time highest run-scorer in the T20 World Cup.