Mohammad Amir has frequently expressed his admiration for Virat Kohli, and the Pakistan fast bowler appears to be taken aback by the latter’s performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday night. While chasing a challenging 187, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) thrashed the ‘Orange Army’. The former captain scored a century, his first in the IPL since 2019 and his sixth overall, and also contributed to a 172-run stand with Faf du Plessis as Bangalore won the southern derby by eight wickets. The victory propelled them into the top four, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Kohli was all class in his 63-ball knock, hitting four maximums and 12 fours, while du Plessis hit seven fours and two sixes in his 47-ball knock as the two dished out a chasing masterclass. Kohli was frequently chastised for slowing down after the powerplay, but he settled the debate with some spectacular shots as he continued to deal in boundaries. He reached his century with a six off Bhuvneshwar Kumar before holing out in the next ball.
Meanwhile, Amir was blown away by Virat’s strokeplay. The Pakistan pacer stated in his most recent YouTube video that there is no comparison between the ace Indian batter and any other cricketer in the world.
“I adore him always; I’ve said it before as well. He is my favourite player of this era. There is no comparison between Virat and any other player. His achievements are unbelievable and he has added another to the list. The way he scored a hundred, it was crucial because it came in a must-win game. And he played some mind-blowing shots as well,” Amir said.
“That’s the sign of a big player; he rises up to the occasion. This was his sixth IPL hundred and altogether, he now has 81 hundreds to credit. That’s why call him the real king of cricket in this era. If he plays for five more years, just imagine how many records will he shatter,” he further added.