Virat Kohli recently won the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup for India. He was part of the team that created history in Barbados by ending India’s 13-year ICC title drought.
This was India’s fifth major ICC title win, including the 1983 World Cup, the 2007 T20 World Cup, the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy. They have now won an ICC title after 13 years, having won the ODI World Cup in 2011.
Kohli had a relatively quiet T20 World Cup in the build-up to the final. In the final, he scored 76 off 59 balls and set the stage for India’s final score of 176. South Africa, chasing 177 to win, fell just seven runs short after being in the chase for almost the first 15 overs.
South Africa lost from a position where they needed 30 in the last five overs. The likes of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah bowled with great accuracy in the last five overs to win the match for India. Pandya defended 16 in the last over and also took the key wicket of David Miller.
Meanwhile, former South African cricketer Herschelle Gibbs, who is currently playing in the 2024 World Legends Championship, spoke on the sidelines of the tournament about Kohli calling him his favourite cricketer from his under-19 days in 2008.
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Virat Kohli’s Big Fan: Herschelle Gibbs
Gibbe finally responded to that in his recent interaction with Sports Tak. He admitted that people often tag him on X (formerly known as Twitter) with Kohli’s video.
“I have it. People have sent it to me on Twitter so I took a look at it and I was pleasantly surprised. I think it’s quite nice,” he said in an exclusive conversation with Sports Tak.
“I am a huge admirer of him. The way he has played, he deserves the utmost respect for what he has achieved at the international level. I also think his temperament and character under pressure, especially in the chase in ODI cricket, is second to none. I think that makes him a bit more special than the other modern players,” he added about Kohli.
Gibbs also praised Rohit Sharma for his leadership during the T20 World Cup and for ending India’s ICC title drought.
“I think they have a great range of skills and a lot more depth relative to what they’ve had in the past. They’ve got a lot of young hitters who are very confident and self-assured. It makes a big difference when you start showing that character and, in particular, potential from a young age. “It says a lot about the individuals that make up their team, so I mean if you look at some of their players, I would definitely pay good money to go and watch them play,” he said.
Gibbs concluded by praising Rohit Sharma’s aggressive intent as captain. He felt that leading Mumbai Indians in the IPL helped him grow as a leader and also handle pressure situations better.
“Some of the shots he played were very brilliant. I think for India, Rohit’s captaincy helped him as he spent a lot of time with Mumbai Indians where similar situations arose and he learnt to fight under pressure,” he said.
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