Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], March 1 (ANI): Former cricketer Madan Lal isn’t in favour of resting batting maestro Virat Kohli for India’s final group stage game against New Zealand in the ongoing Champions Trophy on Sunday.
Virat’s much-awaited resurrection of form finally unravelled in the high-stakes clash against arch-rival Pakistan in Dubai. The atmosphere reverberated with the echoes of his famous T20 World Cup 2022 heist in Melbourne against the Men in Green.
With a shot struck clean as a whistle, Virat hit the winning runs, celebrated his 51st ODI century and became the fastest to 14,000 ODI runs. With fortune shining in Virat’s favour, Madan Lal doesn’t feel resting Virat would help him, especially when he is coming into the fixture on the back of a scorching ton.
“I don’t think Virat should be rested because sometimes there is a problem if a player is rested. He should be rested if he asks for it. He can score a hundred (if he plays),” he told ANI.
In his 299th ODI match, the ‘Chase Master’ put one of his specials on exhibition while calibrating a flawless route for India’s success. Pakistan’s 241-run total fell flat as Virat paced his knock to perfection and effortlessly chased down the target without breaking a sweat.
If Virat isn’t rested and features in India’s final group-stage match against New Zealand, it would be his 300th ODI appearance, making him just the seventh Indian to achieve the feat.
In 299 ODIs so far, Virat has scored 14,085 runs at an average of 58.20 and a strike rate of 93.41, with 51 centuries and 73 fifties, boasting a best score of 193.
The Indian stalwart is the third-highest run-getter in the format after Kumar Sangakkara (14,234 runs in 404 matches with 25 centuries) and ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar (18,426 runs in 463 matches) and India’s second-highest run-getter.
The exuberant batter also holds the record for most centuries in ODIs with 51 tons, outdoing his idol Sachin during the World Cup semi-final in 2023 against New Zealand. (ANI)
