Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli form the defining pair of the modern era: Kumar Sangakkara

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are the two best cricketers India currently possesses. While the India skipper has plundered runs across all formats over the last few years, Rohit has owned the limited-overs formats and his Test career has just started to blossom. Batting together, they have won a lot of matches for India and for all the aforementioned attributes, Kumar Sangakkara feels they form a defining pair of the modern era.

Though he felt that the rules of the game have become more batting-friendly in the last few years, Sangakkara is in awe of the duo’s consistency across all formats. According to him, one has to respect both Rohit and Kohli for what they have done so far in their career.

“There is something very special about Virat and Rohit. That fact that rules have changed and maybe run-scoring might have become slightly easier in one-day cricket, but the fact remains that to be so consistent across all formats, he’s so consistent in T20 cricket. It’s incredibly hard, the volume of cricket that India athletes plays.

“So, I think you have to have a lot of respect for Rohit and Virat but understand that it’s all because of the players that have gone before and have done all the hard work then as well. So, it’s a knock-on effect, so in every era, there’s always a defining pair and in the modern era, its Rohit and Virat for India for sure,” he said while speaking in Star Sports’ Cricket Connected.

Robin Uthappa also lauds Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

Kumar Sangakkara also cited the way the two batsmen hit the ball effortlessly and how they depend only on timing. “If you take the modern-day game, India has two of the best players in Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who play orthodox cricket but who are just absolutely destructive in any format of the game. You don’t have to muscle the ball or put too much effort or look ugly doing it, they just play good cricket shots and results come,” he added.

Robin Uthappa was also present for the discussion on Star Sports and while speaking about Rohit Sharma, he felt that India’s limited-overs vice-captain has so much time while playing a shot. “When I look at Rohit Sharma, I feel he has got eternity to play a ball. It just baffles you like where does he create that time. It’s amazing to watch and so effortless,” he said.

The Karnataka cricketer lauded Virat Kohli for the way he approaches the three formats of the game. According to him, the bowlers have to plan differently to dismiss the India captain in different formats for the way he bats. “Even Virat for that matter, when you watch him bat from one version of the game to another, you can see how clearly, he has planned for each version of the game. In one-day cricket, he almost never hits the ball in the air, unless it’s completely required during the course of the game.

“Similarly, in Test cricket, he is only going to hit the ball in the air once he has passed 120 or 150. But in T20 cricket, he pulls out the big shots and his orthodox big shots that you don’t even think that he will play it, because you have seen him play so much of good cricket along the ground in ODI & Test cricket that you don’t anticipate him playing that. Suddenly, the bowlers have to plan for each version of the game,” Uthappa further added.