Greatest ODI innings by Indian Gautam Gambhir, the current head coach of the Indian cricket team, recently named a knock played by legendary Indian cricketer Virat Kohli as the “best ODI innings by an Indian. Who himself was part of the Indian playing XI during that match, referred to Kohli’s remarkable innings during the 2012 Asia Cup. Earlier this year, Gambhir took over from Rahul Dravid as head coach after a successful cricketing career, including being a key player in India’s 2011 World Cup victory.
During an interaction with Kohli ahead of India’s first Test match against Bangladesh at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Gambhir spoke about Kohli’s unforgettable knock of 183 runs against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup. Greatest ODI innings by Indian Gautam Gambhir, he explained why, in his view, this inning surpasses some of the most iconic moments in Indian history, including Sachin Tendulkar’s famous “Desert Storm” innings, his 98 against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup, and Kapil Dev’s heroic 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup.
Gambhir praised Kohli’s innings for its context—the quality of Pakistan’s bowling attack, the pressure of chasing a daunting target of 330 runs, and the intense India-Pakistan rivalry. He said, “I saw you making your debut and playing an important knock in the Champions Trophy in South Africa on a tricky pitch against a strong West Indies attack. But your 183 against Pakistan, in my opinion, is the best one-day innings ever played by an Indian. The quality of the opposition, the bowling attack, the conditions, and chasing 300-plus—it’s remarkable how far you’ve come.”
Greatest ODI innings by Indian Gautam Gambhir frankly mentioned during the interview
Interestingly, Gambhir was part of the same match, but his contribution was limited, as he was dismissed for a duck. Kohli, batting at number three, put up a crucial 133-run partnership with Sachin Tendulkar, who was playing his final ODI and scored a quickfire 52 off 48 balls. Later, Kohli was joined by Rohit Sharma, the current Indian captain, and the two built an 182-run partnership. Rohit contributed 68 runs from 83 balls, while Kohli was dismissed for 183 runs from just 138 balls, only 12 runs short of the target. Greatest ODI innings by Indian Gautam Gambhir, India went on to win the match by six wickets, with Virat Kohli’s innings standing out as a defining moment in his career.
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