Dubai: De Silva supports 'legend' Kohli as pressure grows on Indian batsman

Photo : AP

Sri Lankan cricket legend Aravinda de Silva recently met amateur cricketers at the Jafza Cup, a corporate tournament at the DP World Cricket Ground in Dubai. The fans were excited to meet him and ask about his famous World Cup win in 1996 and his fearless approach to playing against top bowlers.
De Silva was asked to name his favorite bowlers and batsmen. He immediately said Wasim Akram was the best bowler he ever faced, calling him “unbelievable.” He also mentioned other great bowlers like Richard Hadlee, and Imran Khan, and famous West Indian fast bowlers such as Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, and Andy Roberts.
The fans also wanted to know who De Silva thought were the best batsmen. He said Viv Richards and Brian Lara were two of the greatest. After a pause, he added that it was hard to choose between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar, but he named Kohli as one of the best. This made the crowd really excited.
De Silva has a lot of respect for Virat Kohli, and the two have met a few times. De Silva even invited Kohli to his home in Colombo for dinner during an India-Sri Lanka series. His former teammate, Asanka Gurusinha, said that De Silva wanted to know how Kohli became so successful and was eager to learn from him.
Kohli has been struggling with his form lately. He was in excellent form between 2016 and 2017, but now he is having a hard time, especially in Test cricket. After India lost 3-0 to New Zealand at home, many people started questioning his future in cricket and suggesting that he should retire.

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Kohli is about to play a big five-Test series against Australia in Perth, and this series is seen as very important for his career. If he doesn’t perform well, the calls for his retirement will get louder. However, De Silva says it’s unfair to pressure great players like Kohli to retire. He believes Kohli is still one of the best players in the world and should decide for himself when it’s time to retire.

De Silva also reminded everyone that Kohli went through a tough time in 2014 after a bad series in England, but he came back strong later that year in Australia. In that series, Kohli scored 692 runs, including four centuries, against Australia’s strong bowlers. Even though India lost the series, Kohli proved that he was among the best in the world.

Now, at 36, Kohli is facing questions about his future. But De Silva believes Kohli has already achieved so much for Indian cricket and should be proud of his career. De Silva said, “Virat has made his country proud. He’s been a great ambassador for cricket.” He also believes Kohli will know when it’s time for him to retire and that he will step away from the game when he’s ready.

As De Silva spoke about Kohli, everyone could see how much he admired the Indian batter. Fans around the world are eagerly waiting to see what happens next in Kohli’s career and if he can bounce back in Australia. Whatever happens, Kohli will always be remembered as one of the greatest players in the history of cricket.