Former Sri Lankan cricketer Russel Arnold has predicted that Virat Kohli will become the world’s number one batsman in Tests and ODIs in the near future. Kohli is in India’s squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka.
He is currently playing the first ODI of the series, which is his first international match since the historic 2024 T20 World Cup final that was played over a month ago. He was earlier supposed to be rested for the series but as India will play a limited number of ODIs ahead of next year’s Champions Trophy, new head coach Gautam Gambhir has called for a full-strength ODI squad.
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Russel Arnold makes a big prediction for Virat Kohli
Ahead of the start of the first ODI between Sri Lanka and India, Russel Arnold predicted that it is only a matter of time before Kohli becomes the number one batsman in Tests and ODIs. The renowned commentator also praised Kohli for his dedication and commitment towards the game.
“Virat Kohli’s passion, dedication and commitment is unmatched. He is phenomenal. Yes, I think it is just a matter of time before Virat Kohli becomes the world’s number one batsman in ODIs and Tests,” Russel Arnold told Sony Sports Network.
Russell Arnold said: “Virat Kohli’s passion, dedication and commitment is unmatched. He is phenomenal. Yes, I think it is a matter of time before Virat Kohli becomes the world’s number one batsman in ODIs and Tests.” (Sony) image.twitter.com/qUGWiseOmK
— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) August 2, 2024
Virat Kohli is likely to bat at his usual No. 3 position against Sri Lanka. His last ODI match was the 2023 ODI World Cup final match against Australia where India suffered a heartbreaking defeat. Since then, he has only played Tests or T20Is.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma return to Indian squad after a month-long break
Along with Kohli, Rohit Sharma is also back in the squad after the 2024 T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados. Rohit Sharma is also the captain of the ODI team. His last ODI was also the 2023 World Cup final against Australia.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have announced their retirement from the T20I format after India’s title win at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Both players want to concentrate on the Test and ODI formats which will be crucial in India’s plans for next year’s Champions Trophy and the WTC final.
Kohli had a disappointing performance at the 2024 T20 World Cup but made a big impact in the final with a crucial 77 off 59 balls. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma had a brilliant tournament and finished as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament and India’s leading run-scorer.
Virat Kohli has a fantastic record across all formats of the game, but his record in ODI cricket stands out the most. The 35-year-old has outstanding numbers in ODIs with 13848 runs in 292 ODIs at an average of 58.67 and a strike rate of 93.58. He has already scored 50 hundreds and 72 fifties in the format.