Kapil takes jibe at Anderson, says Kohli will score everywhere

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Dec 13 2016 | 4:22 PM IST
Taking a dig at James Anderson for his controversial comments on Virat Kohli, Kapil Dev has come out in strong support of India's Test captain, saying he has not seen a cricketer like him and the star batsman can score in all conditions.
Anderson triggered a controversy by saying Kohli had made a mountain of runs in Indian conditions, which according to the England pace spearhead, "take any flaws out of the equation".
When asked for his take on the subject, World Cup winning captain Kapil said Kohli can and will score runs in all countries including England, where he endured a tough time two years ago.
"Virat can very well play in all conditions. He is simply playing fabulous cricket. It is great to see an Indian play like this. I have never seen a cricketer like him," said Kapil at the launch of optical store Envee Optix here today.
In a lighter vein, Kapil went on to say that Kohli can even score runs with his sunglasses on, considering he is in the form of his life.
The 28-year-old has already scored 41 international hundreds and averages more than 50 in all three formats.
Is he good enough to break Sachin Tendulkar's records and is he better than his peers -- Joe Root and Steve Smith? Kapil said, "All I would say is look at Virat's record. That speaks for itself. The records show that he is the best at the moment," said Kapil.
However, he said that it is too early to judge Kohli's captaincy even though he has managed to win five successive series. "It is too early. He has got a long way to go."
The former India all-rounder also lauded the effort of star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who alongside Kohli has been instrumental in the team's recent success.
"He is one of the fabulous bowlers we have seen. Rather than he breaking my record or anyone else's, what target he would set for others is more important," he said.
Former India coach Madan Lal was also part of the gathering. He too praised Kohli besides expressing surprise at England's abject failure in the ongoing five-match series.
"I was a bit surprised with England's performance. They played very badly. They have not even played 30 percent of their calibre despite winning the toss a couple of times. India simply outclassed them," Lal, who represented India in the 80s, told PTI.
On Kohli, he added: "He has created new passion in the team and has given confidence to all the players. A leader has to give a lot of confidence to the players and he has done that. His batting form has been phenomenal. Let people like Anderson say whatever they want, it doesn't make a difference," Lal added.

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 13 2016 | 4:22 PM IST

Next Story