Former West Indian great Vivian Richards has hailed star India batsman Virat Kohli and confessed his admiration and love for him.
Kohli is known for his fiery temperament on the field, though it has been slightly toned down in recent times. He is also known for showing his emotions and passion, and wears his heart on his sleeve.
And his passion for the game and character has come in for high praise from one of the greatest batsmen to have ever played the game.
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What did Viv Richards say about Kohli?
In a recent video by the International Cricket Council (ICC), Richards was seen narrating the qualities that made Virat Kohli one of his favourite cricketers ever.
In fact, he went on to say that Kohli's attributes could have been attached to him in his playing days as well.
(His) character. Pretty determined. Fiery, tempery as well. And all these little attributes can be attahced to Vivian Richards. That's why I'm in love with such an individual who plays with passion, believes that everything is gonna happen (for him). He is a believer and I'm a believer too.
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In fact, just like Virat Kohli, Vivian Richards was considered a swashbuckling batsman who put fear into the minds of the bowlers.
Richards was considered well ahead of his time, given his immaculate stroke-making ability and absolute disdain with which he meted out punishment to even the nastliest of bowlers. In fact, many consider Richards as one of the greatest batsmen to ever grace the game.
He played for the West Indies from 1974 to 1991 and was nicknamed the "Master Blaster", "Smoking Joe" and "King Viv".
What is Vivian Richards' batting record?
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s | Highest Score |
| ODI | 187 | 6721 | 47.00 | 11 | 45 | 189* |
| Test | 121 | 8540 | 50.23 | 24 | 45 | 291 |
