Kohli played an innings that was as close to a 'song by god': Greg Chappell

Virat Kohli has already started the tournament on a high, leading the Men in Blue to a resonating victory over Pakistan in the opener while demolishing the undercooked Netherlands in the following game.

Kohli’s 82 off 53 balls is still the talk of the town while his 62 against the Orange Legion was equally laudable as he played the perfect anchor to Suryakumar Yadav’s maddening knock at the other end.

Before India takes on South Africa in an important collision at the Perth, former Indian coach and Australian captain, Greg Chappell had massive words in store for Virat Kohli. He was mighty impressed with the gentry introduced by Virat to the game and writing in his column in the Sydney Morning Herald, he heaped praise on India’s number three handsomely.

Chappell wrote, “Kohli is the most complete Indian batsman of my time. Only the greatest of champions have the courage and the intelligence to transport their imagination beyond the mortal plane. Kohli has that. Perhaps only Tiger Pataudi has come close to transcending a similar stratosphere.”

He further added, “Kohli played an innings that was as close to a 'song by god' as has ever been played in T20 cricket. Like a cat playing with a new skein of wool, Kohli teased then expertly picked apart an excellent Pakistan bowling attack until it lay unravelled, spent and exposed on the green carpet of the MCG.”

There was another imperative remark added by Greg Chappell as he said that Virat’s knock against Pakistan ‘legitimised’ T20 cricket. He said, “I can think of many of the best hitters in the modern game who could have pulled off a similar victory, and probably have, but none has ever done it with pure batting skills in the manner that Kohli did against Pakistan.”

Virat will be a part of the Indian squad that will be up against the mighty South Africans later in the day as both sides eye to duke it out for the group ace with the all-important collision at Perth.