'Virat Kohli Greatest One-day Player to Have Ever Played The Game': Robin Uthappa

Former India batter Robin Uthappa heaped massive praise on Virat Kohli and called him the greatest one-day player of all time. Kohli has been in terrific form in the ongoing ODI World Cup and leading the charts for most runs. The 34-year-old has scored three half-centuries and a century in five matches in the campaign so far.

Kohli has scored 354 runs in 5 matches at an astonishing average of 118.

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The batting maestro is only one short of equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s massive record of most ODI centuries – 49. Kohli had a golden opportunity to achieve the feat on Sunday but he missed out on a ton and was dismissed on 95 in the attempt to play a big shot.

Uthappa, who played alongside Kohli during his playing days, suggested that the batting maestro won’t think much about missing out on the landmark.

“I don’t think Kohli will be thinking too much about it (milestone). He will be happy that he was able to get the team over the line and ended up on the winning side. Records is something you look back on when you end your career. But I don’t think anyone in the team right now is thinking about it,” Uthappa told Sports Today.

Uthappa hailed Kohli for his consistency with the bat and also praised Ravindra Jadeja for absorbing the pressure against New Zealand.

“Virat Kohli I feel is the greatest one-day player to have ever played the game. You knew he would get you over the line but he needed someone at the other end who could stay with him and absorb the pressure. That’s exactly what Jadeja did and let Kohli do what he does best, which is winning the game for his side,” he added.

After his heroics in Dharamsala, Kohli took his tally of ODI runs to 13,437, surpassing former captain and legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya retired with 13,430 runs in the format. Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar remains on the top of the charts with 18,426 runs, also holding the record for the most centuries in the format with 49 to his name.