Kohli is fantastic across formats: MS Dhoni

Kohli produced a breathtaking knock of 154, while Dhoni struck 80, as India cruised to an easy seven-wicket victory in the third ODI against New Zealand here. Dhoni praised Kohli and said: “Batting with Virat helps. The reason being that both of us can hit boundaries and push for those singles and doubles.” 

The skipper said the swashbuckling vice-captain has learnt a lot from where he started. “Right from the start, he’s somebody who always wanted to improve and win games for India. He’s someone who has learnt a lot. He knows his strength well and executes his plan. If he can bat the way he’s batting, each and every individual will be happy. He’s not only made the fans proud, but also the family. That’s what you look to do,” he added.

“I can comment on how good he (Kohli) is, how consistent he is. He is certainly amongst the best. One great thing about him is that he maintains a good strike rate even without playing high risk shots,” said Dhoni. 

Asked whether Kohli was one of the greatest cricketers he has played with, Dhoni said it was unfair to compare players of different eras. 

“All I can say I batting with Virat is great. He helps in building partnerships. He is fantastic. Our biggest problem in the cricket fraternity is that we try to compare. How cricket is played has changed drastically. We can’t compare a Sehwag with a Gavaskar. Even approach in a Test match has changed a lot. It is unfair to compare,” Dhoni added. 

Kohli’s 134-ball knock was ably complemented by an under-pressure skipper Dhoni (80 off 91) as the duo forged a 151run partnership off 163 balls to effectively seal the match with 10 balls to spare after the home team made a shaky start in their pursuit of 286.

After taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday retained the same squad for the remaining two matches of the series. South-paw Suresh Raina, who missed the first three matches due to viral fever, has been ruled out of the remainder of the series. “The All-India Senior Selection Committee has decided to retain the same 14-member squad for the remaining two matches of the five-match ODI Trophy against New Zealand,” the BCCI said in a statement. “Suresh Raina is still to regain his full fitness and has been ruled out of the remainder of the series,” it added. Both the teams will now lock horns in the fourth game at Ranchi on Wednesday while the final game will be played at Visakhapatnam on October 29.