Dubai: De Silva backs 'legend' Kohli as pressure mounts on Indian batsman

Standing in the middle of the picturesque DP World Cricket Ground at Jafza, Dubai, Aravinda de Silva smiled at the cameras and answered every question of fans who turned up to say hello to the iconic Sri Lankan cricketer.

It was a meet-and-greet session for amateur cricketers at Jafza Cup presented by We One, a corporate tournament, as fans kept hurling questions at De Silva on his match-winning heroics in the 1996 World Cup when the stocky Sri Lankan galloped into the realm of legends.

They were also curious to know the secret to his fearless shot-making ability against some of the most hostile bowlers of his time and his opinion on the explosion of T20 cricket which has changed the dynamics of the game since he retired at the age of 37 in 2003.

Then someone asked him to name his three favourite bowlers and batters of all time.

De Silva paused for a moment before taking the name of an old rival.

“Wasim Akram. I must say he was an unbelievable bowler. He was the best I faced,” he said.

“But it’s difficult to tell you who are the second and third because there were so many great bowlers — Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan, and then you had the line-up of four great West Indian fast bowlers (Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts and Joel Garner). They are all great bowlers.”

By now, everyone around him was anxious to know who he would name as his best three batters of all time.

“Viv Richards and Brian Lara,” he said before pausing again. “And the third is a toss-up between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.”

It was the last name that brought a round of applause from everyone.

Yes, in De Silva’s book, Kohli is good enough to be spoken of in the same sentence as Richards, Lara and Tendulkar.

The mercurial Sri Lankan is apparently very fond of Kohli, even inviting the Indian batter to his place in Colombo for dinner during one of India’s Sri Lanka tours.

Asanka Gurusinha, De Silva’s former teammate with who he shared a match-winning partnership against Australia in the 1996 World Cup final, once revealed in an interview how the master Sri Lankan batter tried to get an insight into Kohli’s brilliance as the three of them shared a meal.

It is not unusual even for a legendary sportsman to be in awe of a current superstar.

Kohli in 2016 and 2017 was a different beast — as ruthlessly brilliant as Novak Djokovic during the peak of the Serbian’s career.

But just like the 37-year-old tennis icon who endured the worst season of his life since 2010, finishing 2024 without a Grand Slam trophy in his hand, Kohli is now battling a prolonged lean patch in Test cricket.

At 36, it’s not going to be easier for a player who once played bowlers of varying skills with equal proficiency.

But now he can’t seem to solve relatively simple puzzles thrown at him by modest spinners on turning tracks.

The humiliating 3-0 defeat to New Zealand at home raised several questions and his detractors are now baying for his blood.

It’s against this backdrop that Kohli would begin the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in Perth on Friday in what could be a make-or-break Test series for him Down Under.

The clamour for retirement will be ringing in Kohli’s ears if he fails to turn back the clock in Australia — a country where he has delivered some astonishing performances in the past.

But De Silva says it’s rude for people to even speculate about the retirement of a great cricketer.

“Virat for me is one of the top players in the world, so I have no doubt about his class. But I have no comment to make about his retirement, and I think it is entirely up to him. He should decide when he wants to retire. He is a guy who has performed extraordinarily well.” De Silva told the Khaleej Times.

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