Haseeb Hameed is definitely going to be a future star in all forms: Virat Kohli

19-year-old Haseeb Hameed has been flattering everyone with his batting skills ever since he made his debut at Rajkot. The level of maturity, temperament and courage the teenager has shown in the last three Tests is something which most of the teenagers are not even capable of usually.

Three Tests and six innings after making hs debut, Hameed has already earned enough reputation to make everyone wait with excitement for him to come out and bat. At Mohali, he batted with pain to score an unbeaten 59 in the 2nd innings on Tuesday. However, his gritty 156-ball knock could not prevent his team from losing the 3rd Test by 8 wickets. India took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match rubber. But this knock helped him add Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli in the list of his admirers.

Kohli was one of the men who closely watched the young boy score runs. As a skipper, it would have been frustrating for Kohli to watch Hameed delay India’s success. But, as a senior cricketer, Kohli surely must have been waiting for the match to get over and get a chance to chat with him which he did as soon as all the post-match formalities were completed.

Kohli heaped praise on England’s young opener Haseeb Hameed and predicted he would be a “future star” in all forms of the game.

As England’s innings ended at the IS Bindra Stadium, skipper Kohli appreciated the youngster’s knock as he patted him on the back. Other Indian players also congratulated him.

Hameed had made his Test debut in the 1st Test of the series in Rajkot. He has been impressive so far in the series but his Indian sojourn ended today due to a finger injury sustained while batting on the 1st day of the 3rd Test.

Due to injury, Hameed had to bat at number 8 position in the second innings. Later, after the match, captain Alastair Cook confirmed that the batsman will be flying back home due to injury. Kohli was asked about Hameed’s knock in the post-match press conference and the Indian said, “I wish him a speedy recovery. He showed great character for a 19-year-old, to be honest, at this level.”

“He put his hand up when his team wanted him to do it. The way he played with (James) Anderson towards the end (for the 10th wicket), showed great maturity. He knew exactly what he wanted to do. “And you can sense it as a captain, this guy is intelligent and knows the game. I think he is a great prospect for England. He is definitely going to be a future star in all forms if he keeps persisting with his skill.”

“Really impressed with him and that is why I patted him on the back. It was an innings full of character, something you need to applaud,” he added.

After the match, the official Twitter handle of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) tweeted a picture of Kohli in conversation with Hameed with the caption, “Inspiring generation next. Young @HaseebHameed97 is all ears to #TeamIndia captain @imVkohli.”

Inspiring generation next. Young @HaseebHameed97 is all ears to #TeamIndia captain @imVkohli pic.twitter.com/x1ZFgahwZm

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 29, 2016