'Virat Kohli is the No. 1 player because he bats exactly like Viv Richards,' says Sunil Gavaskar

Batting great Sunil Gavaskar has claimed that current Indian captain Virat Kohli has a lot in common with the legendary Viv Richards. The former opener also said that these similarities are what make Virat Kohli the best batsman in the world.

On Star Sports' Winning the World Cup 1983 show, Gavaskar touched upon Virat Kohli's versatility and strokeplay.

“It was very difficult to keep Viv Richards quiet when he was at the crease. Similarly, if you look at Virat Kohli’s batting today, in the same ball and same line, he will use his top hand and score a boundary towards the extra cover region and will use the bottom hand and score a boundary towards the mid-on and mid-wicket region," said Gavaskar.

The original Little Master also stated that these qualities are shared by a number of great batsmen, such as VVS Laxman.

“That’s why Virat Kohli is considered as the No. 1 player because he bats exactly like Viv Richards. Earlier, Gundappa Vishwanath, VVS Laxman used to bat like this.”

Gavaskar is not the first man to find similarities between Richards' and Kohli's styles of play, with former Australian captain Ian Chappell also stating that the two batsmen are alike in many ways.

In 2019, Viv Richards himself said that he sees the same passion he used to show on the field in Virat Kohli.

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Virat Kohli's career so far

Virat Kohli in action

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli has only gone from strength to strength over his international career so far. The 31-year-old has scored 11,867 runs in ODIs at an astounding average of 59.3, with 43 hundreds to his name.

In Tests, Virat Kohli has 7,240 runs at an average of 53.6 and is well on track to eclipse Gavaskar's tally of just over 10,000 runs in the format. Interestingly, the former Indian opener was the first man in the history of cricket to score 10,000 runs in the longest format of the game.

Given Gavaskar's achievements in the sport and his undisputed status as one of the best pundits in the game, it is high praise he is showering on Virat Kohli.