Indian Legend Lauds Virat Kohli’s Temperament After Gritty Indore Knock

After the New Zealand series, Virat Kohli’s next appearance will be representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru during the upcoming 2026 IPL season.

Indian Legend Lauds Virat Kohli’s Temperament After Gritty Indore Knock

Sunil Gavaskar lauded Virat Kohli's knock during India's third ODI against New Zealand. (via News 18)

Even with his incredible 124-run knock coming in a losing effort against New Zealand, Virat Kohli did earn his share of praise from fans and former players alike. Among them was the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, who lauded Kohli’s approach, and urged young players to learn from him. 

Virat Kohli showed off why he is such a prolific run-getter in the series-deciding third ODI between India and New Zealand at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Despite India losing wickets early on while chasing a mammoth target of 338, Kohli stood firm and fought until the end, to keep his team in the contest. The Men in Blue ultimately lost by 41 runs, resulting in their first-ever home ODI series defeat to the Kiwis.

While New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell stole the show with his 137-run knock in the first innings, Kohli was not far behind, as he struck 127 runs off 108 balls. He hit ten fours and three sixes, while also forging crucial partnerships with Nitish Kumar Reddy (53 off 57) and Harshit Rana (52 off 43). This innings also continues the former Indian captain’s excellent run of form in the 50-over format, with his last seven ODI scores being; 124, 23, 93, 65, 102, 135, and 74.

Virat Kohli’s performance against New Zealand in Indore deeply impressed the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. The 76-year-old praised Kohli’s masterful batting and asserted that his strength is not only his flawless technique but also his mental clarity and independence from public perception. He observed that the Delhi batter skillfully adjusts his playing style to suit the specific needs of the match and the conditions. He told JioStar:

The thing about him [Virat Kohli] is that he’s not tied down to an image… He’s tied to the job at hand, and that job is to score runs.

Gavaskar elaborated, noting that Virat Kohli often begins his innings cautiously before accelerating later on, though he also sometimes attacks early before rotating the strike, as seen in the three ODIs against South Africa.

Gavaskar highlighted that Kohli always refuses to give up during difficult run-chases. The 1983 WC-winner concluded that Kohli’s adaptability and mentality are the most important lessons for young cricketers, and urged them to learn from him. 

Sometimes that means starting watchfully and then opening out. Sometimes it means attacking early and then spreading the field and picking up ones and twos… He [Kohli] plays according to the situation. He never gives up. Even till the end, he was trying.

Virat Kohli concluded the India-New Zealand series as the second-highest run-scorer, with 240 runs at an average of 80. However, the RCB star broke several records, most notably becoming the highest run-scorer in ODIs from the no. 3 batting position.

BCCI to reportedly scrap Grade A+ contracts; Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to get demoted

According to reports, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma could be moved to lower grades on the BCCI’s Central Contract List as the board seeks to overhaul the list. The changes may include scrapping the highest A+ category, which is mainly reserved for players active in all three formats.

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma BCCI contract
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma might get demoted to Grade ‘B’ on the BCCI’s Central Contract List. (via India Today)

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja are the only cricketers currently holding Grade A+ BCCI contracts, which come with an annual salary of INR 7 crores. The current structure also provides Grade A, B, and C contracts. However, the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee has proposed a major overhaul, which would involve scrapping the A+ category and retaining only the A, B, and C grades.

Recent reports also suggest that given Kohli and Sharma being active in ODIs, it may lead to them getting demoted to Grade B, potentially missing out on Category A. Only a handful of players in the current Indian cricket setup are active in all three formats, including ace speedster Jasprit Bumrah, all-rounders Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and young pacers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.

It is expected that players such as Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Siraj, and Kuldeep Yadav might be placed in Grade A. Furthermore, the BCCI may also increase the retainer amount across all categories.

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