Virat Kohli is a Modern-Day Great—No Doubt About It!

Following Virat Kohli’s stunning century against Pakistan, cricket legends—including Sachin Tendulkar and Shoaib Akhtar—showered praise on the ‘Chase Master’, hailing his record-breaking performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

New Delhi, February 24: Virat Kohli once again proved why he is one of the greatest batters of all time, delivering a flawless century to guide India to a dominant six-wicket win over Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

His unbeaten 100 off 111 balls, featuring seven exquisite boundaries, was a masterclass in chase execution. In doing so, Kohli not only extended his record with a 51st ODI century but also became the fastest player to reach 14,000 ODI runs.

Cricketing legends from across the globe, including Sachin Tendulkar, Shoaib Akhtar, and Irfan Pathan, heaped praise on the ‘Chase Master’, acknowledging his brilliance under pressure.

“A Perfect Ending to the Most Awaited Match”—Sachin Tendulkar

The ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar took to social media to congratulate Team India and applaud Kohli’s stunning knock.

“A perfect ending to the most awaited match. A real knockout! Team India. Superb knocks by @imVkohli, @ShreyasIyer15, and @ShubmanGill, and wonderful bowling by our bowlers especially @imkuldeep18 and @hardikpandya7!” Tendulkar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

“Virat Always Delivers Against Pakistan”—Shoaib Akhtar in Awe

Despite Pakistan’s crushing defeat, former pacer Shoaib Akhtar (the ‘Rawalpindi Express’) was in awe of Kohli’s brilliance, calling him the ultimate “white-ball run chaser.”

“Again, if you tell Virat Kohli that he has to play against Pakistan, he will come fully prepared, and then he will show. Hats off to him. He is like a superstar. He is a white-ball run chaser. He is a modern-day great. There is no doubt about it,” Akhtar said in a video on his social media.

“This guy gets it all. I am really, really happy for him. The way he came out. He played flawlessly. I wish him all the best. He deserves all the praise.”

“A Beautiful Love Story Continues”—Irfan Pathan’s Take

Former all-rounder Irfan Pathan celebrated Kohli’s consistency against Pakistan, calling it a “beautiful love story.”

“Virat Kohli scoring runs against Pakistan. A beautiful love story continues. Double it up,” Pathan wrote on X.

“Virat Gives Himself the Best Chance to Succeed”—Sanjay Manjrekar

Cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar praised Kohli’s extreme fitness and unwavering application, which he believes makes the Indian stalwart one of the best.

“Virat is the epitome of someone who gives himself the best chance to succeed by controlling what he can by way of extreme fitness & amazing application. And that’s the best a human being can do, isn’t it?” Manjrekar wrote.

A Record-Breaking Night for Kohli & Team India

As Kohli smashed records and led India to victory, the team moved one step closer to securing a semi-final berth in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

For fans and cricketing greats alike, Kohli’s latest heroics reaffirmed his status as one of the finest cricketers of all time—a “modern-day great,” as Shoaib Akhtar put it.

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