Team India, hungry for their first ICC trophy in 11 years, sets their sights on the T20 World Cup 2024 which is being co-hosted by the West Indies and USA and is slated to start from June 2. Virat Kohli, fresh off his IPL 2024 Orange Cap win and in red-hot form, is expected to be a crucial cog in the Men in Blue's title charge. However, his recent strike rate has been a talking point, with legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar sparking a debate that even saw Kohli publicly address the criticism. Now, with T20 World Cup approaching, Gavaskar throws another challenge Kohli's way.
Sunil Gavaskar challenges Virat Kohli to break his big record
A rare feat awaits Virat Kohli when India tours Australia later this year for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Currently, only two overseas batters - the legendary Sunil Gavaskar and England's Alastair Cook - have managed to score a century at every Test venue in Australia. Kohli, known for his exceptional record Down Under, has already notched centuries at multiple Australian grounds. However, the prestigious Gabba in Brisbane remains unconquered.
Speaking at a recent event celebrating the Australia-India Summer of Cricket, Gavaskar expressed his hope that Kohli can become the third overseas player to achieve this remarkable feat. This would further solidify Kohli's reputation as a dominant force in Australian cricket.
"On an individual level, [my wish] maybe for Virat Kohli is that he becomes the third overseas player who's scored a Test century in all the Australian venues. I think he doesn't have one at the Gabba, so if he gets a century at The Gabba, that means he joins me and Alastair Cook," Gavaskar said in an event.
Virat Kohli boasts an impressive record in Australia's Test arenas, already amassing six centuries across various venues. Adelaide has seen him shine the brightest with three tons, followed by Perth with two. He's also notched a century each in Sydney and Melbourne. This puts him ahead of both Sunil Gavaskar and Alastair Cook in terms of the sheer number of centuries scored Down Under.
The upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy presents Kohli with exciting opportunities. Scoring just one century in the five-match Test series would see him surpass Sachin Tendulkar for the most Test tons by an Indian batsman in Australia. An even more historic feat awaits if he manages to score four centuries. This would propel him past the legendary Jack Hobbs, making him the overseas batsman with the most hundreds in Australian Test history.
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