I am a huge fan of Virat - Sir Vivian Richards

Virat Kohli has been a force to reckon with in the ongoing World Cup and being the third-highest run scorer at the moment with 543 runs garnered at an average of 108.60, he has been an elemental part of the Indian cricket team in the global extravaganza.

Attesting to the brilliance of Kohli, batting icon Sir Vivian Richards had the highest praises reserved for the former Indian captain. Not only did he laud his batting flair but he was vocal about Kohli's mindset that makes him the unstoppable force that he is today.

Talking to ICC, Richards said, "Virat is a go-getter and what sets him apart is his mental strength. He will have backed himself throughout, and on the occasions in the past in which I have chatted with him and we have discussed things, his mental strength has always been evident."

He further added, "That has been key to pushing him through to how he is playing now. Very few players, or people, are built like that."

The Caribbean batting icon also shed some light on how Virat overcame things from the times where he had struggles, reconciling himself with the legend that we knew ahead of 2019.

Richards said, "Virat will have been through some tough times before this World Cup and some folks were even brave enough to call for his head."

He continued, "I am a huge fan of Virat, I have been for a long time, and he continues to show why he has to go down as one of the all-time greats, right up there with the likes of the great Sachin.”

In fact, fans have also made contrasts between Richards and Kohli, about which the Caribbean talisman said, "Many people have made comparisons between the two of us over the years, partly because of our shared intensity on the field. I love Virat's enthusiasm -- even if he is fielding at long-on or long-off, when one of his bowlers hits the pad, he is appealing. He is always in the game and I like individuals like that."