Former England spinner Monty Panesar has praised Virat Kohli after the Indian batter reached the milestone of 15,000 ODI runs. Panesar admired Kohli’s strong desire to perform, his energy on the field and his focus on fitness.
He feels Kohli’s attitude and love for cricket show that the star still has a lot to offer. Kohli, who is 37, has already said that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his final one, raising questions about when he may step away from the format.
“Virat Kohli is still very hungry. He plays with tremendous intensity, pays great attention to his fitness and motivates everyone around him. I also get motivated to go to the gym when I see Virat training. He was saying that this could be his last World Cup, but perhaps that is part of his mindset. When you think you have only 10-15 games left, you approach every game with full intensity, treating each one like an event. Virat comes in with that mindset, giving his best on every ball and in every moment. With this kind of intensity, I don’t think he will retire after the World Cup. I believe he still has a lot of cricket left in him,” Panesar told ANI.
Panesar also feels that former India captain Rohit Sharma should be part of India’s ODI World Cup squad. He called Rohit a “great player” and backed him to make the team.
He praised Rohit’s attacking style and said India would need a player of his quality for the big tournament.
“Rohit Sharma is also a great player. When he gets going, he can be absolutely destructive with the bat. He is an attacking batter, hits the ball a long way and plays with a clear mindset. He can make a real difference for India, and I believe the team needs a player of Rohit’s quality. He deserves to be given the opportunity to earn his place in the World Cup squad,” Panesar added.
Both Indian legends recently played in ODI series against West Indies, where they delivered their brilliance for the Men in Blue. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s impressive batting performance made the Indian fans happy as it will increase their chances to play in the ODI World Cup 2027 for India.