Former England all-rounder Samit Patel offers high praise for Indian cricket stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, discussing their unique strengths and making predictions for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
IMAGE: India’s Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been praised for their batting and leadership. Photograph: BCCI
Key Points
- Former England all-rounder Samit Patel praised Virat Kohli’s exceptional composure and skill in pacing run chases, especially after Kohli breached the 15,000-run mark in ODI cricket.
- Patel also lauded Rohit Sharma for his dynamic, explosive batting at the top and his powerful leadership, calling him “the hitman.”
- Patel affirmed that Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and Steve Smith will always constitute cricket’s ‘Fab Four’.
- Looking ahead to the 2027 ODI World Cup, Patel predicted Australia, India, England, and South Africa as the likely semi-finalists.
Former England all-rounder Samit Patel hailed Virat Kohli’s ability to pace a run chase and praised Rohit Sharma’s leadership and explosive batting, describing the two Indian stars as among the most exciting players to watch in the game.
Patel Praises Kohli’s Chase Mastery
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the ongoing World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2026, Patel lauded Kohli after the Indian batter breached the 15,000-run mark in ODI cricket, highlighting his composure and ability to shift gears according to the demands of a match.
“King Kohli is the master of a chase. The composure that he’s got, the skill level he has, the ability to know when to go up and down the gears is absolute mastery. And Rohit Sharma again, the firepower he provides at the top for India and all the franchises he has played for, has been dynamic and great to watch. He is a powerful leader, one of India’s best leaders in my opinion. He’s the hitman!” Patel told ANI.
The Enduring ‘Fab Four’ And World Cup Predictions
Patel also weighed in on the debate surrounding cricket’s ‘Fab Four’ coined by New Zealand legend Martin Crowe, stating that Kohli alongside England’s Joe Root, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Australia’s Steve Smith will always be on the list.
“For me, it’ll always be Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Steve Smith,” he said.
With the 2027 ODI World Cup, to be jointly hosted by South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe, around a year away, Patel also named the teams he expects to reach the semi-finals.
“You can’t write off Australia. India will always be there. England, I think, will be there, and I wouldn’t write off South Africa either,” Patel said.