Virat Kohli is like a diamond in the team, says Sourav Ganguly

Team India thumped Windies by 8 wickets in the first ODI of their ongoing assignment of 5-match series. They chased down the target in excess of 320 with as many as 47 balls to spare. No wonder why the cricket pundits reckon that the entire series would be a cakewalk for the Virat Kohli-led side. Among the many who have firm faith in the abilities of this side is former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly.

After India’s crushing win, Sourav Ganguly spoke at length about the various success points for the team in the match. He remarked that the way India approached the run chase showed that they never really felt the pressure of chasing down a big total.

“It was a fantastic performance. It never felt as if they are under pressure of a stiff target. They easily won the match and I strongly believe they will seal the series too,” Ganguly told IndiaTV during the show ‘Cricket Ki Baat’.

On Virat Kohli

One of the two chief architects of India’s win in the game was Virat Kohli. The Indian captain blasted his 36th ODI ton and looked in sublime form with the bat. Kohli’s powerful knock set the tone of India’s run chase. Ganguly had a lot of praise in store for the Indian skipper. Ganguly feels that Kohli inspires other batsmen with his strokeplay.

“Virat Kohli is a great player. Anything is possible for him. In 80s we had Gavaskar, then Sachin came and now we have Virat Kohli. With his impressive strokeplay, he also inspires other batsmen. Kohli is like a diamond in the team. He makes batting look so easy when he comes at the crease,” said the former Indian captain.

On Rohit Sharma

Adding further on the same lines, Ganguly also hailed the way Rohit Sharma anchored the Indian innings. Rohit remained unbeaten on 152 to see his side home on the day. Sourav Ganguly conceded that Rohit is no less than Virat Kohli when it comes to the ODI format of the game.

“He (Rohit) is no less than Virat Kohli. He started slow yesterday but anchored the innings and led India to the victory. He has gained confidence in his game with time. In captaincy too, he has proved his mettle. This is the time for the selectors to take Rohit along on the Australian tour for the Test series. He has matured a lot in last two years,” Ganguly noted.

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