Virat Kohli in action during Champions Trophy 2025© X (Twitter)
Former Indian cricket team batter Navjot Singh Sidhu was all praise for star batter Virat Kohli and he called his performances “a tight slap” for people who doubted him. Following his disappointing show in the Test series against Australia, Kohli came under a lot of criticism from both fans as well as experts. However, with match-winning knocks against Pakistan and New Zealand, he has left everyone stunned and Sidhu could not stop hailing him for his performances. Sidhu went on to call him a match-winner and even namedrops former United States President Bill Clinton in his analysis.
“Why did I stand behind him during tough times? This is a fitting reply and a tight slap for the people who doubt Virat Kohli. The echoes of that slap can be heard all around the world and it is saying that any match winner – be it Steve Smith or Kohli – is someone that I will always back. It is because when his time comes, he will keep winning matches for his team,” Sidhu said on Star Sports.
“Who has not gone through bad times? Be it Bill Clinton or major politicians or even big sportspersons? I believe that biggest credit also goes to Rohit Sharma. They have truly created a brilliant Generation Next. Rohit has created leaders. If the ones who are playing in T20Is, Rohit has created 4-5 of them.”
Virat Kohli once again proved why he thrives under pressure, delivering a match-winning knock of 84 off 98 balls against Australia in the semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai on Tuesday. His composed innings guided India to a crucial four-wicket victory, securing their place in the final.
Following Kohli’s stellar performance, his childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, heaped praise on the star batter, highlighting his ability to step up in high-pressure games.
“He is called King Kohli because I have always said that he is ‘bade match ka bada player.’ He showed that yesterday (against Australia in ICC Champions Trophy Semi-final 1), too. He showed that the tougher the competition, the better her bats. Mentally, he is very strong…Class is permanent, form is temporary. Everyone knows his contribution towards Indian Cricket, they know how many matches he has made the country win,” Sharma told ANI.
(With ANI inputs)
Topics mentioned in this article