GOAT of cricket stands for “Greatest of all time.” This is the complete form of the goat of cricket. This term is almost always used in sports, not just cricket. Sometimes goat of cricket is decided on the base of formats, but sometimes it is decided on the base of the country. Every nation that plays cricket has produced one or more goats. Virat Kohli is the current goat of cricket from India, while Babar Azam is the goat of cricket from Pakistan. Similarly, Steven Smith is called the goat of Australian cricket. Jos Buttler is called as current Goat of English cricket.
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Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, and KL Rahul have the potential to be the next G.o.a.t of cricket. Babar Azam will keep this rank for a more extended period in Pakistani cricket.
Why is Virat Kohli called the Goat of Indian Cricket?
One of the top cricketers of the modern era, Virat Kohli, displays both elegance and style. He is not simply a classic hitter but also a performer and a powerful batter. Because of some of his most famous performances for India in recent years, he is also known as the “2nd GOD of cricket.”
There are several reasons why he is called a goat of cricket. Now, we will see how he has achieved this status.
Kohli’s mental strength and resilience helped him become the greatest of all time in cricket. This is a unique trait that only a few cricketers had in the past. This ability is linked to his spirit of competition and never-give-up attitude.
He frequently shows this character for Team India. For example, during the 2022 T20 World Cup, played a match-winning knock against Pakistan that show Virat is also the chasing master of cricket. Similarly, in the 2016 T20 World Cup, he played a match-winning knock against Australia. These are the twin main examples of Kohli’s resilient mind against tough opponents, Australia and Pakistan.
Virat Kohli as a captain has demonstrated mental toughness and a strong mind as a player. His captaincy records as a test cricket captain for India are well-known.
1. Resilient mind
Virat Kohli’s quality of mental strength and resilience helped him become the greatest of all time in cricket. This is a unique trait that only a few cricketers had in the past. This ability is linked to his spirit of competition and never-give-up attitude.
He frequently shows this character for Team India. For example, during the 2022 T20 World Cup, Kohli played a match-winning knock against Pakistan. Similarly, in the 2016 T20 World Cup, he played a match-winning knock against Australia. These are the twin main examples of Kohli’s resilient mind against a tough opponent against Australia and Pakistan.
As a captain, he has demonstrated mental toughness in addition to having a strong mind as a player. His captaincy records as a test cricket captain for India are well-known.
2. Adaptability
Another reason for calling Kohli as a G.o.a.t of Indian cricket is having an adaptable mindset. He has proven to be very versatile in a wide range of situations, whether in England, Australia, or New Zealand.
| In SENA (All Formats) | Runs | Avg. | 100s | 50s | High Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 1767 | 58 | 05 | 09 | 160* |
| England | 2574 | 44 | 03 | 18 | 149 |
| New Zealand | 961 | 41 | 02 | 05 | 121 |
| Australia | 3426 | 56 | 11 | 19 | 169 |
On several occasions, he proved his adaptability. For example, in 2016, he scored 153 runs in a test match in centurion against South Africa. This was one of the most adaptable innings of Virat Kohli. He was finding it hard and challenging to score at that time. But eventually, he proved himself adaptable to find his form.
In 2016, at Melbourne, he scored 169 runs against Australia. This was one of the most dominant innings played by Virat Kohli outside India.
Now, We will see his foreign stats in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia across all formats.
Read More: Virat Kohli Home & Away Stats
It is evident from the above stats that Virat Kohli is very adaptable to foreign conditions. He has scored centuries against all SENA nations in SENA. His batting average of more than 40 against South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia demonstrates his adaptability in these unfamiliar situations.
3. Technique
Another reason Kohli is regarded as the “GOAT” of cricket is his technique. Kohli’s batting technique is among today’s game’s most solid and technically sound. He has a perfect grip and stance with exceptional footwork. He uses his skills to play shots that are sometimes unimaginable for his fans. His cover drive is one of the best shots in his batting weapons, and every fan enjoys watching Kohli perform it.
Kohli’s technique enables him to play a wide range of shots easily.
He is also well-known for his ability to master the difficult skill of spin bowling. He is mentally tough against spin bowlers, which is uncommon in modern batters.
Finding the correct gaps to score runs is one of the most impressive techniques and skills. Virat Kohli has a natural ability to do so. He has the ability to score more runs, which has improved his strike rate.
4. Aggression
Virat Kohli is naturally a very aggressive player on the field of cricket. He uses not only his bat but also his eyes and hands to influence opposing players. Cricket player rarely uses this technique, but Kohli has proven himself to be a Jack of all trades.
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He utilized his aggression in the Border Gavaskar trophy in 2021 that took place in Australia. He does a lot of sledding against opposing players at times. It appears unethical, but he only used it in limited circumstances to undermine the opposition.
This aggression helps his team win many games, making Kohli and his fans very happy. Kohli’s fans praised his actions because they believed he was the King of Cricket.
5. Consistency
Maintaining consistent performance is one of the most difficult aspects of becoming a cricket star. Maintaining consistency in cricket is very difficult, but Kohli did it exceptionally well for team India.
Similarly, Kohli rose to such prominence that he set high expectations for his fans. This is one reason that he is known as the Goat of cricket.
Kohli’s consistency extends beyond his performances; he has also led his team to several victories. India has won several major tournaments under his leadership.
Every batter finds it very challenging to perform effectively during his captaincy, but Kohli was an exception since he delivered consistently in each situation.
He has achieved a lot of records through his consistent performance. Some of the top records are as follows. This is why some people started calling him the next God of cricket after Sachin Tendulkar.
| Most 100s Vs one Team in ODI Cricket (10) | |
| Fastest to 12000 ODI Runs | |
| Most Player of the Series awards in T20I | |
| Most Runs in T20I | |
| Most Fifties in T20I | |
| Fastest to 3500 Runs in T20I | |
| Most Player of the Match Awards in T20I | |
| Highest T20I career batting average |
Who is the Goat of ODI Cricket?
Virat Kohli is the goat of ODI cricket. Rohit Sharm could be the new goat of ODI cricket. Babar Azam is also in line and will be 3rd goat of cricket after Kohli and Sharma.
Who is the Goat of T20 Cricket?
Currently, Virat Kohli is the goat of T20 cricket. If he keeps up his performance to set some new records in cricket, Babar Azam can become the new scapegoat of 20-over cricket.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the phrase “Goat of cricket” is used to describe the greatest player in the history of the game. Sir Donald Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, and Sir Vivian Richards were among the cricketers who were given serious consideration for this honor.
Although there is no strong agreement over who the real “Goat of cricket” is, every one of these players has profoundly influenced the game, and their contributions cannot be underestimated.
As cricket has progressed over the years, new players have emerged who smash records and make their own contributions to the sport.
Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Rohit Sharma, and Shubman Gill are the new players who have the potential to set new records.
Virat Kohli is considered a current g.o.a.t of cricket, while Babar Azam could be the next g.o.a.t of cricket.
It does not matter who will be the next goat of cricket, but one thing is sure there could be more than one goat of cricket in upcoming years.
