‘A player like him comes once in a generation’ – Mohinder Amarnath compares Virat Kohli with Viv Richards and Ricky Ponting

Mohinder Amarnath, the former Indian cricketer, stated that Virat Kohli shouldn’t be blamed for not living up to people’s expectations. Of late, Kohli has been a recipient of criticism after India’s eight-wicket loss to New Zealand in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.

Despite rain washing off two entire day’s play, Kohli and Co couldn’t evade a defeat after the match went into the Reserve Day. Amarnath, the member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning squad, called Kohli a ‘once in a generation’ cricketer and also drew his parallels to Ricky Ponting and the legendary Si Vivian Richards.

Virat Kohli is doing a fantastic job: Amarnath

“Virat Kohli is a great player and a very good captain also. We shouldn’t be emotional; we have many expectations and when our expectations don’t get fulfilled, we start looking for something on which we can put the blame,” Amarnath was quoted as saying in Hindustan Times.

“Definitely he (Virat) is doing a fantastic job and a player like him comes once in a generation. Cricket will keep on moving forward and when there are so many facilities and you play for a whole year obviously your self-confidence increases.

“In Virat Kohli, I see both Viv Richards and Ricky Ponting so you can imagine how good a batsman Virat is. And with experience, his performances are improving and it’s important for him to continue as captain,” he added.

In the match against the Black Caps, the 32-year-old Virat scored 44 in the first innings but failed in the second as he managed 13 runs. Both times, he got out to fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, who got a five-wicket haul in the first innings and also became the Player of the Match.

Ever since Kohli took charge as Team India’s captain back in 2014, India haven’t won an ICC trophy. Under his leadership, India lost the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy and then lost to the Kiwis in the 2019 World Cup.

For the same, he has received a lot of brickbats and the netizens have forth the difference between him and MS Dhoni, who won India three ICC trophies from 2007 to 2013.