'His hunger and passion are unmatchable' - Rohit Sharma lauds Virat Kohli as latter completes 16 years in international cricket

Virat Kohli completed 16 years in international cricket on August 18. The cricketer debuted for India in the first ODI against Sri Lanka on 18 August 2008 in Dambulla. The right-handed batter was dismissed on 12 runs in 22 balls and scored just one boundary. He went on to become the greatest in the ODI format and his counterpart, Rohit Sharma, applauded Kohli’s sheer passion and hunger.

The former India captain is known for his animated behaviour on the field and the energy gets rubbed off on other players as well. He is also one of the very few players who interacts with the crowd from the middle and gets them going in support of the team. While lauding the unmatchable aura of Kohli, Sharma also highlighted the experience and added that it comes with immense struggle.

“We all know that his hunger and his passion are unmatchable. Every time you see him, he comes out with different energy all the time. So many things that he brings to the table, to the team. His experience—I mean, so many games he's played for India,” Sharma told Star Sports.

“You cannot just go and buy those games in the market. It happens through the struggles, through the tough situations. And all of that. So, yeah, I mean, I wish him the best. Every time we see him, you know, his game seems to be at a different level,” the hitman further added.

Also Read: Jay Shah congratulates Virat Kohli on completing 16 years in international cricket

Kohli bowed out from T20Is on a high, remains vital cog in other formats

As the Delhi batter completed 16 years, he has put full stop to his T20I career with the World Cup win in 2024. Virat Kohli continues to remain an integral part of India’s ODI and Test teams and leads the way with youngsters mushrooming around.

Also Check: On This Day in 2008: Virat Kohli's international debut for India in an ODI against Sri Lanka

The 35-year-old broke the legendary Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 centuries in ODI cricket. He notched up his 50^th ODI century against New Zealand in the World Cup 2023 semifinal in Mumbai.