Former Pakistan captain slams Virat Kohli's detractors: ‘Don't know why certain fans do this..'

Virat Kohli had a flying start to 2023, scoring his 45th ODI hundred and helping India to a 67-run win. This was his second back-to-back century in the format indicating that he is again getting back to his dominating best in white-ball cricket after more than three years of struggle.

Virat Kohli's first international ton in over three years was incidentally his first in T20I as well. The run machine scored an unbeaten 122 in just 61 balls, which broke the record for the highest score by an Indian in a T20I match. That came in Asia Cup 2022 against an Afghanistan side who were already out of the tournament which led to many wondering if this was only a false dawn for Kohli.

However, 34 years-old has since proven that it was not a one-off by scoring the two ODI centuries and is now within just four centuries of equalling Sachin Tendulkar's feat for the most in the format. Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt has criticised those who questioned the validity of Virat Kohli's century against Afghanistan, stating that he is now showing his class.

"He scored a century against Afghanistan at the Asia Cup," Butt said on his Youtube channel. "They have a strong bowling attack. How many batters have scored a century against them? People often say that it is a weak team or a flat track whenever Kohli scores a century. That guy has done it 73 times. I don't know why certain fans do this. This guy is a cricketing genius."

The former Pakistan skipper also talked about Kohli's sensational innings against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup which helped India win the match from a seemingly unwinnable position. "Virat Kohli's knock against Pakistan during the T20 World Cup was a very special one," he added. "It's never easy to play in such a fashion, especially when you are going through a form slump. Such knocks take a player to the next level."

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