Virat Kohli will go shirtless in Oxford Street if India win 2019 World Cup, jests Sourav Ganguly

What's the story?

Virat Kohli may be breaking one record after another at the moment. However, Sourav Ganguly has posed him with a far trickier conundrum than those bowling attacks he has been flaying in recent times. Shedding light on his wittier side, the legendary skipper urged the 29-year old to replicate his famous shirtless celebration if India win the 2019 World Cup in England & Wales.

"When we played, Indian cricket was different and the thinking was different and we had to take Indian cricket forward. When (MS) Dhoni came, he took it forward. Now during Virat's time, he had an established team and he had to take it even further. The best thing about Indian cricket is that we have had different role-models in different eras. It has been a step by step growth and we have created champions in different generations. Kohli is the role model now," Ganguly said at Agenda Aaj Tak.

The 45-year old jocularly added, "If Virat wins the World Cup in 2019, he will roam around Oxford Street with his shirt off. Mark my words."

The context

Last month, Ganguly had insisted that there was more to his legacy than the memorable shirt-waving celebration at Lord's. The veteran termed his debut century at the fabled venue as a more special moment than his antics in the 2002 NatWest Series final.

The heart of the matter

As things stand, Kohli is the first and only batsman in the history of the game to average more than fifty in all three formats. During the recently completed ODI series against New Zealand, he surged past Ricky Ponting's tally of centuries to go into second place in the list of all-time century-makers in the format.

Extra Cover: Most runs in a calendar year across all formats

Raising his Test game to another level in the series against Sri Lanka, Kohli followed up a splendid second-innings century in Kolkata with a match-winning double ton in Nagpur. In the ongoing third Test at his home venue of Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, the right-hander smashed his sixth double century to draw level with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.

What's next?

Having been rested for the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka, Kohli will get a much-needed break after bearing the brunt of a hectic schedule. In his absence, Rohit Sharma will lead India for the 3-match series which begins at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on the 10th.

Author's take

Needless to say, Ganguly's remark on Kohli going shirtless was made in jest. Although he is already a World Cup winner, the star batsman's legacy will reach exalted heights if he manages to lead India to the ultimate glory in 2019.