Ex-India Star Hails "Kohinoor" Virat Kohli For 51st ODI Ton, Hoping For 10-15 More In Future

Virat Kohli's unwavering resilience over the past six months, capped by his unbeaten century against Pakistan, has convinced former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu that the "once-in-a-generation" player will continue playing for another two to three years. Kohli roared back to form in sensational fashion, smashing his 51st ODI ton to help India secure a six-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan, all but sealing their place in the Champions Trophy semifinals. "Character is not made in a crisis, it is exhibited. This is a man with pedigree, with passion. And after this 100, I can say it with conviction that this man is playing for the next 2 or 3 years and he is getting another 10 or 15 hundreds," Sidhu said on JioHotstar.

"That, you take it from me. Because, you see, the ultimate litmus test for anyone is how he goes through the adverse times, how he embraces adversity." Kohli's Test performances have significantly declined since 2020, and his place in the red-ball side was questioned following back-to-back series defeats to New Zealand and Australia.

"Last six months, there has been so much going on that he chose his moment. When he scored runs against Pakistan, people are not going to forget it for 10 years.

"If you look at the initial part of his innings, if you look at these drives, you know that this is the Virat Kohli of old. And to me, it's the character that he exhibited when the chips were down.

"These are the people who've inspired the kid in the street. For the game to grow, you need role models, who are above everything. Virat Kohli is a once-in-a-generation cricketer, a 'Kohinoor'." During his unbeaten knock, Kohli also became the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs.

“Look, when you assess Virat Kohli,