'Old generation still best': Gavaskar on Kohli masterclass

Sunil Gavaskar lauds Virat Kohli's record-breaking T20 century, emphasising his mastery in run-chases and proving that experience still triumphs in cricket.

Virat Kohli

IMAGE: Virat Kohli's century silenced doubters and proved his continued relevance in T20 cricket. Photograph: RCB/X

Key Points

Virat Kohli scored a record-breaking century for RCB in Raipur.
Sunil Gavaskar hailed Kohli's performance, stating the 'old generation is still the best'.
Kohli became the first Indian to score 10 T20 hundreds and reach 14,000 T20 runs.
Gavaskar highlighted Kohli's exceptional ability to construct a run-chase.

Indian cricket icon Sunil Gavaskar hailed Virat Kohli's record-breaking century for Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Raipur, saying that while the talk about the next generation of hitters taking over is taking place, the veteran has shown that the "old generation is still the best".

After two successive ducks, Virat enthralled the Raipur crowd with a majestic display during a run-chase of 193 runs, not only hitting fours and sixes, but accumulating runs risk-free through singles and doubles, particularly the latter. This century made him the first-ever Indian to score 10 T20 hundreds and reach the 14,000 run mark in T20s.

Kohli's Mastery in Run-Chases

Speaking on Star Sports 'Cricket Live', JioStar expert Gavaskar said that the star batter "knows how to construct a chase better than most" and what he does will take a long time to be matched.

"Virat Kohli was absolutely outstanding against KKR. He knows how to construct a chase better than most. When it comes to T20 centuries, he is third on the list with 10, behind Chris Gayle and Babar Azam. But he is the fastest to 14,000 T20 runs and has nine IPL hundreds. Records are there to be broken, but it will take a very long time for anyone to match what Kohli keeps delivering, game after game, season after season," he said.

The Veteran Silences Doubters

"While everyone was talking about this being the season of 'Gen Next', Kohli showed he is still around. He silenced the doubters with a century and moved to third in the Orange Cap race. He proved that the old generation is still the best. Even though the young stars are taking centre stage, the experienced greats are not done yet. This hundred from Virat Kohli was one of those special moments that remind us of his greatness," he signed off.