One of the finest batters of all time, Virat Kohli, has rubbed shoulders with and competed against some of the finest players in the world over the years in the Indian Premier League. When it comes to the T20 league, there have been some big-name achievers in the league, including the likes of MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina, etc. However, when Kohli was asked to pick the GOAT of the IPL, the Royal Challengers Bangalore star admitted that it was quite a difficult choice.
The question was such a tricky one that Kohli couldn't pick a single name. He went ahead with two players -- AB de Villiers and Lasith Malinga. Kohli himself shares a vibrant bond with De Villiers, having played alongside him during the South African batter's time in the IPL. In fact, Kohli and De Villiers remain two of the best friends in the game.
When it comes to Malinga, the Sri Lankan pacer is undoubtedly the finest death bowler there ever has been in the IPL. With his heroics at the fag end of the game, Malinga has won numerous matches for Mumbai Indians almost single-handedly.
When it comes to De Villiers, he is one of the finest finishers the game has ever seen. In his 184 IPL matches, De Villiers score 5162 runs at an average of 39.71 and a strike-rate of 151.69.
Malinga, who only played for Mumbai Indians in his entire IPL career, picked 170 wickets in 122 matches at a brilliant economy rate of 7.14.
Kohli was also asked a few other questions during a Q&A on Jio Cinema. They are:
- Most underrated batter - Ambati Rayudu.
- Greatest All Rounder - Shane Watson.
- Better Spinner between Narine and Rashid - Rashid.
- Favourite shot in T20s - Pull shot.
- Favourite team to play against - CSK due to the big fan base.
Kohli himself is the highest run-scorer in IPL history with 6411 runs to his name in 208 matches. Since the inaugural edition of the league, Kohli has only played for RCB in the T20 league.