Rashid Latif calls out Virat Kohli for his aggressive behaviour on the field
India won the 37th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 versus South Africa by 243 runs at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
Riding on Virat Kohli's century, the hosts registered 326 runs on the board while batting first. Kohli scored 49th ODI hundred in the fixture to equal Sachin Tendulkar's ODI centuries record.
In the second innings, Ravindra Jadeja spun a web around South Africa. He dismissed five Proteas batters as the visiting side eventually got bundled for 83, losing their second match in the ongoing World Cup.
'It does not look appropriate' - Rashid Latif on Virat Kohli's aggression
After hitting a ton, Kohli was all fired up in the second innings, punctuating the dismissals of South Africa batters with his roaring celebrations.
Commenting on this, former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif criticised Kohli's aggression, saying that a player of his stature should not be behaving like that on the field.
"He (Kohli) has hit 49 centuries in less innings than Sachin. But he is playing cricket in a different style. He is showing lot of aggression on the field. It does not look appropriate. It does not suit a player of such a big stature," Latif said on a Pakistani news channel.
Further, Latif talked about how every Indian player has been given a defined role. He cited the examples of Rohit Sharma and Kohli to explain this.
"Virat Kohli's role is defined in this tournament. Shubman Gill is struggling. That's why, Rohit Sharma is taking it upon himself to take the game forward. He hits 80s, 40s and smashes most sixes. This is his role. Virat Kohli's job is to bat till the end of the innings. Rather than play more balls, his focus is on taking more time," he added.
India's strategy seems to be paying dividends at the moment. The hosts have scored eight wins on the trot in this World Cup, each in a very convincing manner. Even if India loses their final match against the Netherlands, they will end the group stage at the top of the points table.
Will India win ODI World Cup 2023?
As per the Dafabet odds, India sre the favourites to clinch the title.
