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Back in 2018 when goal machine Cristiano Ronaldo was at the peak of his powers, former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo hailed ex-India captain Virat Kohli as the CR7 of world cricket.
Echoing the same sentiments after Kohli extended his free-scoring run on Sunday, former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt observed that the ex-Indian skipper is no less than Ronaldo when it comes to maintaining fitness standards.
It goes without saying that Kohli and Ronaldo are two of the most talked about athletes in the modern era. Embracing the twilight phase of his iconic career, Portugal captain Ronaldo has bid farewell to UEFA Champions League football following his sensational move to Al-Nassr FC. Meanwhile, ace cricketer Kohli has regained top form following his sabbatical from international cricket last year.
On Sunday, the former Indian skipper slammed his 46th ton in the 3rd One Day International (ODI) meeting between India and Sri Lanka. Speaking on his YouTube channel about Kohli’s marathon knock against the Dasun Shanaka-led side, former Pakistan skipper Butt branded Kohli as one of the top athletes in the world. “He’s no less than any Ronaldo. Among all the top fitness freaks sportsmen around the world, he stands right up there,” Butt said.
Kohli remained unbeaten on 166 off 110 balls to help India post a gigantic total of 390-5 in 50 overs. In reply, Sri Lanka folded for 73 as the Kohli-starrer Team India registered a massive win by 317 runs. Kohli was named the Player of the Match for his batting masterclass. The 34-year-old surpassed Sachin Tendulkar with his record 21st century at home. The Indian run machine also became the fifth-highest run-getter in the history of ODI cricket.
“I think Virat Kohli is back to his best, maybe back to his normal. He used to score plenty of runs and hundreds consistently. This is the absolute way of playing ODI. You make a steady start, play ball-by-ball, put away bad balls and score run on good deliveries. Once fully set, he was consistently able to hit it over the boundary easily. There was a low-risk factor. This shows how much control he has over the game when he is on the song,” Butt added.
