Wishes and praises pour in for Virat Kohli on the eve of his 100th Test match

As we stand on the brink of one of the most remarkable feats in Indian cricket with Virat Kohli about to rack up his hundredth Test appearance, the entire nation is pumped up to celebrate the icon’s historic feat as he walks into an elite club.

The Indian fans and pundits have weighed in on their opinions and most of them believe that the former Indian captain may very well be en route to his 71st century, ending a long-standing drought that has haunted the Indian fans for almost two and half years now.

As India gears up to celebrate one of the most historic occasions in their glittering cricketing antiquity that has seen vehement ups and downs, we will quickly take a look at what the experts had to say about Virat Kohli.

A few days back, Yuvraj Singh had said, “Virat, I’ve seen you grow as a cricketer and as a person. From that young boy in the nets who would walk shoulder-to-shoulder with the legends of Indian cricket, you’re now a legend yourself leading the way for a new generation. Your discipline and passion on the field and dedication to the sport inspires every young kid in this country to pick up the bat and dream of putting on the blue jersey one day. You have elevated your level of cricket every single year and achieved so much already in this wonderful game that it makes me even more excited to watch you embark on this new chapter in your career. You have been a legendary captain and a fantastic leader.”

Kohli’s former national and RCB teammate cited, “I do not think Virat Kohli has just left a legacy for Indian cricket, he has left a legacy for world cricket. The intensity with which India has played Test cricket for the last few years has been phenomenal. The world has been amazed by how much energy Virat can bring. People all around the globe enjoyed that. I think Kohli brought fitness to the table and he has made that a mandate, people have followed that and you can see the standard of fielding has gone up two notches.”

The Indian cricketing icon, Sunil Gavaskar heaped countless praises on the former Indian skipper as he said, “I don’t know how many of you recall when way back in 2011, he made his Test debut. Fidel Edwards was bouncing him and he was ducking them. After that Edwards stared at Virat and Kohli in return was blowing kisses to him through the grille of the helmet. For a newcomer to be dealing that way with one of the fastest bowlers in the world – Fidel Edwards was quick. He was 145 plus – that told you about the young man’s belief in himself and the guts that he showed. Since then, it has only been an upward curve as far as his career is concerned."

BCCI president and former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly said, “Virat’s had a great journey. Starting 10-11 years ago and getting to where he has reached today is an exceptional achievement. On behalf of the BCCI and also a former captain and player who has played 100 Test matches and more, I wish him all the very best.”