Gary Kirsten the coach who took India to World Cup glory in the 2011 edition, has spoken words of praise for Indian batsman Virat Kohli, calling him a ‘rare talent’ and reiterating his belief in the youngster’s abilities.
“I always had a different kind of feeling when I started working with Virat Kohli,” Kirsten was reported as saying.
“From the beginning, I was very sure that he was a rare talent and would become a great player. He grew massively in these past few years and has matured a lot. I was fortunate to be part of that process of seeing him grow,” he further added.
Virat Kohli, who made his ODI debut in 2008, played 54 One Dayers under Kirsten’s guidance and scored five tons. Even in his early years, Kohli was believed to be very talented, with Indian veteran Anil Kumble calling him the best under-22 player in the international game.
Having become India’s second Under-19 captain to win a World Cup, Kohli was criticized for his brash and irresponsible behavior. However, more recent years have seen him develop more maturely, and the batsman has been given opportunities to lead the national side as stand-in captain.
The 24-year-old has also been featuring in the Indian Premier League for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he plays alongside players like Chris Gayle. The youngster was also given the chance to captain the RCB side in this year’s IPL, in a bid to groom him as a future captain.
Despite Kohli’s remarkable form in ODIs and good Test outings, Girsten was still wary of comparing him with the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, who is considered by many to be among the top batsmen in the game’s history.
“I have always been very careful about appointing someone in that place (Tendulkar’s replacement). It’s a very dangerous position and very risky to name anyone. All I can say is that Kohli is a fantastic batsman whom the opposition bowlers are finding difficult to get out,” Kirsten stated.
Gary Kirsten, who earned a lot of fame for his World Cup winning stint with India, recently signed up for a 3-year coaching assignment with the IPL franchise Delhi Daredevils.
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