Virat Kohli will be playing for next 2-3 years, will score another 10-15 hundreds: Navjot Singh Sidhu

Former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu has praised Virat Kohli for his match-winning century against Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium in Champions Trophy 2025. Kohli’s gritty knock ensured a smooth six-wicket victory for India, which unofficially sealed the team's semi-final berth in the eight-team tournament.

Kohli also brought up some remarkable milestones en route to his 51st ODI century, becoming the fastest batter to reach 14,000 ODI runs, reaching the mark in 287th innings to beat Sachin Tendulkar’s long-standing record (350 innings). Kohli also joined the elusive list of batters with 14,000 ODI runs, joining Tendulkar and Kumar Sangakkara.

Kohli’s form was under severe scrutiny after a quiet home Test season in which India hosted Bangladesh and New Zealand. His struggle extended in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where he tallied 190 runs in nine innings, with 100 of those coming in the second innings of the series opener in Perth.

Sidhu reckoned that the knock against Pakistan could well have opened the door for getting “another 10 or 15 hundreds”. Kohli is second only to Tendulkar (100) in terms of most centuries international cricket, with the recent one against Pakistan being his 81st.

Check out: List of Virat Kohli international & IPL centuries | Virat Kohli IPL Centuries

“Character is not made in a crisis, it is exhibited. This is a man (Virat Kohli) with pedigree, with passion. And after this 100, I can say it with conviction that this man is playing for the next 2 or 3 years and he is getting another 10 or 15 hundreds. That, you take it from me,” Sidhu told Star Sports.

“Because, you see, the ultimate litmus test for anyone is how he goes through the adverse times, how he embraces adversity. Last six months, there has been so much going on that he chose his moment. When he scored runs against Pakistan, people are not going to forget it for 10 years,” he added.

Kohli is a guy who leaves no stone unturned: Sanjay Bangar

Sidhu co-panellist and former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar lauded Kohli for his intent and dedication to the game.

“I think more than the work I put in, it's about his hard work and his dedication to the game. Because he is a guy who leaves no stone unturned as far as preparation is concerned. He knew that he had to step up. He brought that intensity to his game and you could see it in his body language," Bangar said.

"You could see in the way his eyes lit up and that fire was burning there. He was hungry for runs and boy oh boy! Today was an innings of which we can certainly say what Navjot Singh Sidhu just said- another 3-4 years of international cricket, easily. Because if you can maintain that side of standards in terms of execution of pure skill and intent, you get a master class like this," he added.

Bangar also assessed what Kohli did differently to end the drought and get back to his former self. He highlighted that unlike all his innings of late, where he would try to go hard at the ball, Kohli allowed the ball to come to him.

“Well, I think he waited for the ball today. He didn't really, was on the front foot all the time. He waited for the ball to come to him, was aggressive self, was willing to cover the infield as well. But here against spin, what I saw in the first half of his innings, he was playing a lot of the back foot. And then once he got that confidence, then he started coming forward. He came forward to left arm spin and off spin. But against leg spin, he was happy to stay back. But once he sorts of figured him in, then he started getting on to the front foot as well. So, starting off the back foot and then gradually going on to the front foot as well.”