Virat Kohli most complete Indian batsman of my time: Greg Chappell

Mesmerised by the way Virat Kohli floored archrivals Pakistan in their T20 World Cup opener Australian legend Greg Chappell rated the former skipper as the most complete Indian batsman of his timeIn a fitting response to his doubters who had raised questions about his spot in the format Kohli slammed an unbeaten 82 to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against Pakistan on SundayDescribing the innings as a song by God the 74yearold said None of the greats of bygone eras could have dismembered of an opponent so brutally without compromising the niceties of the art of batting than Kohli did last Sunday nightKohli is the most complete Indian batsman of my time Only the greatest of champions has the courage and the intelligence to transport their imagination beyond the mortal plane Kohli has that Perhaps only Tiger Pataudi has come close to transcending a similar stratosphere Chappell wrote in a column for The Sydney Morning HeraldKohli played an innings that was as close to a song by god as has ever been played in T20 cricket Like a cat playing with a new skein of wool Kohli teased then expertly picked apart an excellent Pakistan bowling attack until it lay unravelled spent and exposed on the green carpet of the MCGLegitimised T20 cricketChappell further said that Kohlis innings against Pakistan legitimised T20 cricket It was an innings that showcased the art of batting like no other that I have seen in a lifetime of watching cricketIronically it was also the innings that legitimised T20 cricket as dare I say it an art form more than any that I have seen in the past 15 years Nobody can dismiss T20 cricket as simply entertainment ever again said the former India coachChappell said only World Cupwinning Australia wicketkeeperbatter Adam Gilchrist could have come close to Kohli in terms of sheer strokeplayAlso Read Virat Kohlirsquos 82 the perfect T20 innings Greg ChappellI can think of many of the best hitters in the modern game who could have pulled off a similar victory and probably have but none has ever done it with pure batting skills in the manner that Kohli did against Pakistan he saidOnly Adam Gilchrist has come close in the past but this was even more esoteric than some of his most sublime efforts It was simply impossible to look awayThat the knock came from the strongest and most vocal supporter of Test cricket made Chappell all the more ecstaticIt gave me immense pleasure as it was played by one of the staunchest supporters and exponents of Test cricket of the past 145 yearsThis was the day that T20 cricket came to maturity and the nail biting game was played between two of the younger nations of the long form of the game in front of 90000 rapturous fans most of whom were thousands of miles from the land of their birth Chappell wroteIt was not very long ago there was a raging debate over Kohlis selection in Indias T20 World Cup squad as he was going through the worst phase of his career after a controversial end to his captaincy from all three formats of the gameKohli also decided to take a monthlong break to deal with mental issues and returned with a bang in the Asia Cup where he slammed his first international century in three years and a maiden one in the shortest format against AfghanistanHe continued his form in the home series against Australia in the buildup to the T20 World CupWe have known for some time that Kohli is in a rare class but this was done against the backdrop of a pretty lean run during the last few years by his lofty standards Chappell wroteNot many are going to have to go through it in the glare Virat has Everyone has had an opinion most of it has been centred on his eyes andor his technique as having waned in some way As someone who has been down that track I was pretty sure this wasnt the caseIt is likely the best T20 innings of his career and it may also be one of the most satisfying in any format He looked completely at home He was in his elementWould have made Shane Warne proudThe innings came at Shane Warnes home ground as 90000plus fans cheered every bit of it and Chappell felt had he been alive the spin wizard would have been proud of the knock Warned died of heart attack in March this yearShane Warne would be proud to have his name emblazoned on the most imposing stand at the stadium presiding over the proceedings on the fateful eveningIt was most certainly the comingofage of crickets new crown jewels Kohli willed himself to get his team over the line and demanded that anyone who loved the game of cricket stay and watch the spectacle until the end Chappell saidThe match had its share of controversies in the last over when a six by Kohli was adjudged noball for height and there were some debatable byes as wellIt is much like NZ being punished for accidental overthrows from the opponents bat which cost them the 50over World Cup Final at The Oval in 2019 Chappell saidIndia most likely would have won anyway but it wouldnt have been the foregone conclusion that it becameI would review that rule to give the bowler credit for the dead ball if he is good enough to beat the bat and hit the stumps Chappell concluded