Former Australian captain Steve Waugh hailed Virat Kohli as the ‘greatest one-day player of all time’, and a ‘once in a generation cricketer’, redefining modern-day batting in limited overs.
Kohli has aced the ODI format, according to Waugh. As Kohli’s records speak for themselves, he is the second-highest run scorer in ODI history and the fastest to reach the milestone from 8,000 to 13,000 runs.
Steve Waugh hails Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as all-time greats
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, former Australian captain Steve Waugh lauded Kohli’s extraordinary consistency and hunger for runs, calling him “probably the greatest one-day player of all time.”
“Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are two all-time great players. People on the Gold Coast would love to see them play, but they can’t play every match,” Waugh told ANI.
During the third ODI of the recently concluded series against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Kohli anchored India’s chase with an unbeaten 74 off 81 balls, guiding the team to a comfortable nine-wicket win while chasing 237. Rohit Sharma was equally dominant, scoring an unbeaten 121 off 125 balls as the veteran duo helped India avoid a series whitewash.
A new era after T20I retirements
After their triumphant T20 World Cup win in Barbados, Kohli and Rohit announced their retirements from T20Is, marking the end of an era for Indian cricket. In their absence, India’s next generation has risen to the occasion, dazzling fans with fearless performances in the shortest format.
Waugh praised the transition, saying, “It’s great to see all-time greats like Kohli still playing. But the game must evolve. India now has a modern T20 side filled with exciting young talents. Someone like Virat Kohli comes once in a generation, and if you get a chance to see him play, you should grab it.”
