Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Shane Warne praise Virat Kohli

Virat played a brilliant knock against Australia to quide India to World T20 semi-finals 

 

 

New Delhi: From Sachin Tendulkar to Brian Lara, greats of the game were united in their admiration for Virat Kohli, calling him "unbelievable" and "special"  for single-handedly guiding India to the ICC World Twenty20 semi-finals.

Tendulkar led the effusive praise for Kohli, terming his unbeaten 82-run innings last night as a "special" one.

"Woooow @imVkohli ...special it was... Great win, fighting all the way! #IndvsAus," Tendulkar tweeted.

Australian spin legend Shane Warne, while commenting on Tendulkar's praise for Kohli, said, "Great knock by @imVkohli Reminded me of one of your many special innings buddy !!!!!"

Another batting legend Lara said Kohli was an "unbelievable" batsman.

"Anyway can anyone send me videos of @imVkohli as a teenager batting #unreal best timer of a cricket ball I hv seen," the West Indian great wrote on his twitter handle.

"He is just an unbelievable batsman! No need to say anymore."

Kohli's team-mates Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Shikhar Dhawan also praised Kohli for his batsmanship and match-winning abilities.

"Well what can I say ! There are players who r in form and there is @imVkohli who wins you games again and again ! Hats of you beauty," Yuvraj tweeted.

Harbhajan added: "JEO KOHLI JEO MERA SHER.What an inn??????what a champion player u r my lil brother @imVkohli @BCCI ??????swad aa Gaya yara drallo drallllll?????????"

"Hats off to Virat's great knock!! Lots of learning from him!!??????," Dhawan tweeted.

Former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was also full of praise for Kohli.

"Great performance by India and a great innings by @imVkohli," he tweeted.

BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur tweeted: "Great effort @imVkohli. You've shown a great temperament. All the best Team India for semis. @BCCI." 

Australian cricketers Glenn Maxwell and just-retired Shane Watson, who witnessed Kohli's brilliance from close quarters on Sunday, said they were beaten by a cricketing genius.

"Well... That innings was a different level...Not a lot more to say really...Absolutely shattered. Beaten by 1 cricketing genius. #toogood," Maxwell wrote.

Watson added: "@imVkohli What an absolute pleasure to witness that tonight. INCREDIBLE. Can't wait to finally be on the same team @RCBTweets. #waytoogood."

Former India captain Anil Kumble tweeted, "Genius @imVkohli! What a knock! #IndvsAus #WT20."

Indian off-spinner R Ashwin compared Kohli's knock to the memorable innings by Tendulkar in Sharjah.

"Sandstorm from sachin at Sharjah,and the hailstorm in Mohali from @imVkohli should be written in the same paragraph," he tweeted.

Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson, who had stirred up a debate by saying that Kohli does not perform in big matches, chose the occasion to applaud the India's genius.

"Well to be fair, he definitely stepped it up for this T20 World Cup. Too good in the end ????"

Applause also trickled in from other former cricketers such as ex South African opener Herschelle Gibbs.

"Just saw some of @imVkohli innings tonight,special! Nice to see someone who enjoys the big stage and the big moments??"

"And once again @imVkohli and @msdhoni show how it's done! Congratulations," added former India pacer R P Singh.