T20 World Cup 2022: Virat Kohli’s innings against Pakistan was a ‘Song by God’ - Greg Chappell

Australian legend & former Indian coach Greg Chappell has called Virat Kohli ‘the most complete Indian batsman’.

Chappell in his article for Sydney Morning Herald hailed Kohli’s knock of 82* against Pakistan, describing his innings at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as a ‘Song by God’, which literally translates to The Bhagavad Gita, a revered Hindu scripture.

"Kohli played an innings that was as close to a 'song by god' as has ever been played in T20 cricket. Like a cat playing with a new skein of wool, Kohli teased then expertly picked apart an excellent Pakistan bowling attack until it lay unravelled, spent and exposed on the green carpet of the MCG,” said Chappell.

Chappell further added: "None of the greats of bygone eras could have dismembered of an opponent so brutally without compromising the niceties of the art of batting than Kohli did last Sunday night. Kohli is the most complete Indian batsman of my time. Only the greatest of champions has the courage and the intelligence to transport their imagination beyond the mortal plane. Kohli has that. Perhaps only Tiger Pataudi has come close to transcending a similar stratosphere.”

Chappell said only World Cup-winning Australian wicketkeeper batter Adam Gilchrist could have come close to Kohli in terms of sheer strokeplay.

Also read: Virat Kohli the best batter of this era - Mohd Amir

"I can think of many of the best hitters in the modern game who could have pulled off a similar victory, and probably have, but none has ever done it with pure batting skills in the manner that Kohli did against Pakistan," he said.

"Only Adam Gilchrist has come close in the past, but this was even more esoteric than some of his most sublime efforts. It was simply impossible to look away." That the knock came from the strongest and most vocal supporter of Test cricket made Chappell all the more ecstatic.