Former Pakistan cricket star, Mohammad Hafeez, did not hold back in his critique of Indian batting sensation Virat Kohli during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Kohli, who recently marked his 49th ODI century against South Africa, found himself in the crosshairs of Hafeez’s comments once again. Hafeez didn’t mince his words, accusing Kohli of selfish batting aimed at personal records, further fueling the debate on ‘Selfish vs. Selfless’ cricketing philosophy.
However, former England captain Michael Vaughan swiftly defended Kohli’s performance, asserting that both centuries, Kohli’s and Ben Stokes’ in the Netherlands match, were equally impressive. Vaughan took to social media, addressing Hafeez, and expressed his admiration for Virat Kohli’s anchor role innings on a challenging pitch in Kolkata. He emphasized Kohli’s contribution to India’s victory by over 200 runs and dismissed the idea of selfishness.
Michael Vaughan was quick to applaud Ben Stokes as well, acknowledging the quality of his innings. He contrasted Stokes’ performance with Kohli’s, citing the difficulty of the pitch in Kolkata and the challenging opposition attack faced by the Indian captain.
In a lighthearted twist, Vaughan took a playful jab at Hafeez, speculating whether Hafeez’s frequent criticism of Kohli stemmed from getting dismissed by him in the past.
Virat Kohli, currently ranked as the second-highest run-getter in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, has amassed 543 runs in eight matches, featuring two centuries and four fifties. The only player ahead of him is South African opener Quinton de Kock, with 550 runs in the same number of matches, including four centuries. Kohli’s quest to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 ODI centuries continues as he aspires to become the first-ever batter in ODI history to achieve this remarkable milestone.
Team India’s journey in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is far from over. Their next challenge awaits against the Netherlands in the final league stage match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. With India, South Africa, and Australia already securing their spots in the semifinals, the excitement in the cricketing world is reaching its peak.
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