“I have not seen anyone who is as hungry and as passionate as him” - Teammates hail Virat Kohli as star batter turns 35

Team India players hailed Virat Kohli for his passion and unwavering commitment to cricket as the seasoned batter turned 35 on Sunday. Kohli is regarded as one of the greats of the modern era and is often compared to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Sir Viv Richards.

Having made his international debut in 2008, Kohli has featured in 514 international matches, amassing 26,209 runs at an average of 54.03, with 78 hundreds and 136 fifties. He is at No. 4 on the list of batters with the most runs in international cricket, after Sachin Tendulkar (34357), Kumar Sangakkara (28016), and Ricky Ponting (27483).

In a video posted on ICC’s Instagram handle, teammates paid tributes to Kohli as he turned a year older. He’s a compilation of comments from current Indian cricketers on the star batter.

“His hunger and his passion for the game are unparalleled. I have not seen anyone who is as hungry and as passionate as him.” - Shubman Gill

“That fire and dedication towards the game after playing for so long has not fallen down. It only keeps on getting up. So that is something that I can also learn and everyone who watches the game, I am sure, learns a lot from.” - Jasprit Bumrah

“He has got the fitness culture. He has got the bond. He’s always there in the game. And that is something I think which will inspire, obviously a lot of us, but at the same point of time, a lot of millions of fans as well.” - Hardik Pandya

“He’s changed the DNA of thinking around Indian cricket. How one batsman needs to perceive it. How one batter needs to prepare for a game,” - Ravichandran Ashwin

Kohli will be seen in action on Sunday as India face South Africa in the 2023 World Cup match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

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“Virat’s a legend of the game” - Rahul Dravid on Kohli

Apart from teammates, head coach Rahul Dravid also lavished praise on Kohli. According to Dravid, with his amazing performances, the 35-year-old has set a benchmark for his generation of cricketers.

“Virat’s a legend of the game and especially this format [ODI]. All formats of the game, but particularly this one. The performances; the way he’s been able to finish games, the standard of his performances over the years has probably set a benchmark for his generation of cricketers,” the coach commented.

Kohli is India’s leading run-getter in the 2023 World Cup, having scored 442 runs in seven innings at an average of 88.40 and a strike rate of 89.47.