“Virat Kohli is still the best player” – RCB legend backs Indian batter amid extended lean patch

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opener and legend Chris Gayle has backed his ex-RCB teammate Virat Kohli, stating that he is still the best player in the world.

While Virat has been inconsistent recently and is going through an extended lean patch, Gayle believes that the star Indian batter will turn things around soon.

“He is still the best player in the world regardless of the form, Virat Kohli is still the best player, the stats prove that, how many centuries across formats he has scored as well,” Gayle was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

Gayle acknowledged that Virat Kohli was going through a tough period, but added that these things were normal and the latter needed to pick himself up and stage a comeback.

“It’s just one of those things that we cricketers go through in patches. I know it is coming at the back end of his career as well, but these things do happen, so he just needs to pick himself up and come back again," he said.

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Chris Gayle says Virat Kohli will break his Champions Trophy record

Currently, former West Indies legend Chris Gayle holds the record for the most runs scored in the history of the Champions Trophy. The 'Universe Boss' is at the top with 791 runs from 17 matches at an average of 52.73, with three hundreds and a fifty.

Virat Kohli has scored 529 runs in the competition's history from 13 games and needs 263 runs to overtake Gayle and become the leading run-scorer in Champions Trophy history.

The RCB legend is optimistic that Virat will break his record and go past him in the upcoming edition. He also believes that his ex-RCB teammate will score a century in the competition.

“It is easy for him just to get 200 runs. I don’t know how many games they will be playing but I am sure he can get over 200 runs, and I am sure he will get a century for sure, so it’s just a matter of time before he goes on to break that record," Gayle concluded.