In 50-overs Cricket I’m No. 1, After Me Stands Kohli: Pakistan’s Khurram Manzoor Makes Huge Claims
Karachi: Former India skipper Virat Kohli is one of the greatest cricketers to ever play the game. Virat is on course to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 100 centuries and has dominated the world cricket in the last decade. He was out of form for a while and couldn’t score a hundred in nearly three years, with people claiming Virat’s end, but the modern-day great bounced back with class, smashing four centuries in less than a month.
Kohli is often been compared to Australia stalwart Steve Smith, Joe Root, Kane Williamson and even Babar Azam, all greats of the game, however, there is one Pakistan batter who once had said that he is better than Virat Kohli despite not being able to hold on to his place in the Pakistan team.
Khurram Manzoor, who made his debut in 2008 and played 16 Tests, seven ODIs and three T20Is for Pakistan, recently clarified his statement and said that he was not comparing himself with Kohli but instead highlighting his achievements.
“I am not comparing myself with Virat Kohli. Fact is, in 50-overs cricket, whoever are there in the top-10, I am the world no.1. After me stands Kohli. My conversion rate in List A cricket is better than him. He scores a century every six innings. I score century every 5.68 innings. And based on my average of 53, over the last 10 years, I am ranked fifth in the world in List A cricket. I also have scored 24 centuries in the last 48 innings. Between 2015 and now, whoever has opened for Pakistan, I still remain the leading scorer among them. I am also the top scorer and century-getter in national T20. Yet I get ignored. And nobody has ever given me a solid reason for that,” he said while speaking to Nadir Ali on his YouTube channel.
Khurram has 7992 runs in 166 List A games with 27 tons, scoring a century every 6.11 innings. His average of 53.42 is the sixth-best in the world among batters who have played at least 100 or more innings. Virat Kohli, on the other hand, has 14215 runs in 294 innings with 50 centuries, with a century every 5.88 innings.