Virender Sehwag Debunks Unnecessary ‘Trophy Agenda’ Against Virat Kohli

Ex-India opener Virender Sehwag strongly backed RCB star and Indian cricketing icon Virat Kohli, stating trophies do not define a player's greatness.

Virender Sehwag Debunks Unnecessary ‘Trophy Agenda’ Against Virat Kohli

Virender Sehwag backed Virat Kohli, while stating that a player is not defined by the number of trophies he wins. (via NDTV Sports)

Former Indian opener and 2011 World Cup winner Virender Sehwag expressed his unequivocal support for Royal Challengers Bengaluru star Virat Kohli, over his trophy debacle. Sehwag noted that the greatness of a player cannot be judged by the number of trophies he has won. 

Revered as one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Virat Kohli has been the torchbearer of Indian cricket for the past decade. The 36-year-old is the record third highest run-getter in international cricket with 27,599 runs in 550 matches. He holds the record for being the record for the most ODl centuries, and is the only batter to have achieved 900 rating points across all three formats, in the ICC Player Rankings.

Kohli has four major ICC titles to his name, having been a part of India’s 2011 World Cup, 2013 and 2025 Champions Trophy, and 2024 T20 World Cup winning squads. A fantastic T20 player, Kohli is the highest run-getter in IPL history, having accumulated 8,509 runs in 263 matches for RCB. He has hit eight hundreds and 62 fifties to his name in the IPL, batting at an average of 39.58 and a strike rate of 132.60.

However, in spite of his individual brilliance, the 36-year-old has failed to lift the IPL trophy, even once. Kohli’s inability to secure the IPL title coincided with his tenure as captain of the Indian team, during which he also did not win any major ICC title. Kohli had to step down, following the India’s humiliating 2021 ICC T20 World Cup exit, with Rohit Sharma being named his successor, instead.

Ex-Indian opener Virender Sehwag, who once played alongside Virat Kohli, however came out in support of his former teammate. Speaking on Cricbuzz, the 46-year-old defended Kohli from the unnecessary criticism surrounding his trophy debacle. It comes a year after Sehwag had previously slammed the RCB star for his strike-rate, after Kohli recorded the joint-slowest century in the IPL, off 67 balls.

Despite previous criticism, Virender Sehwag defended Kohli, asserting that a player’s greatness shouldn’t be measured by titles won. He noted that trophies are team achievements, and cannot be won by the individual brilliance of a single player. The former Indian opener emphasized that what makes Virat Kohli great is his consistent contributions to both the Indian cricket team as well as to RCB.

The greatness of a player is not judged by trophies because trophies are team achievements. A player is judged by his performance, his consistency, his records and Virat Kohli is the No.1 in it.

Virender Sehwag on Virat Kohli (via Cricbuzz)

Nonetheless, Virat Kohli and Co. will be hoping to make it through to the play-offs this season, as they remain second in the 2025 IPL standings. RCB have 16 points from 11 matches and are just a step away from securing a place in the last four.

Ex-RCB star AB de Villiers slams critics questioning Virat Kohli’s strike-rate in the IPL

Former RCB batter and South African legend AB de Villiers hit back at critics, who have questioned Virat Kohli’s strike-rate in T20s over the past few years. Several former players like Sanjay Manjrekar, Virender Sehwag and Sunil Gavaskar have pointed to the need for Kohli to accelerate while scoring runs.

AB de Villiers on Virat Kohli
Ex-RCB star AB de Villiers slammed former players, who criticized Virat Kohli’s strike rate in the IPL. (via Times of India)

Despite being the IPL’s leading run-getter, Kohli has faced criticism regarding his strike rate in crucial matches. However, his former RCB teammate, AB de Villiers, emphasized Kohli’s adaptability and referred to him as ‘Mr. Safety’ for RCB, highlighting his reliability. Furthermore, De Villiers pointed out that Kohli’s calm demeanor has helped him guide RCB to the finish line on numerous occasions.

Virat [Kohli] is always there. He is ‘Mr. Safety’ for RCB. When he is there, you don’t have to fear. Never fear when Virat is near. That is the story…

AB de Villiers on Virat Kohli’s strike-rate (H/T NDTV Sports)

Moreover, de Villiers also referenced Kohli’s recent innings against Chennai Super Kings, as a testament of how well he can shift from being a composed player to a hard-hitter. Against the five-time IPL winners last weekend, Kohli scored a 62-run knock off just 33 balls, at a strike rate of 187.88.