Virat Kohli paid tribute to cricket great Sir Garfield Sobers posthumously, describing him as one of the greatest cricketers the game has ever seen.Sobers leaves behind a career that has shaped cricket over two decades.
He excelled with both bat and ball and set a standard for all players that few have matched.Kohli took to the X to express his condolences and praised Sobers’ impact on the game.“Cricket has lost one of its greatest players. Rest in peace, Sir Garfield Sobers. Your legacy will inspire generations,” Kohli wrote.Sobers represented the West Indies in 93 Test matches between 1954 and 1974. He scored 8,032 runs at an average of 57.78, including 26 centuries, and also took 235 wickets during his career.He was known as a left-handed batsman, a left-arm bowler who could bowl seam, orthodox spin, and wrist spin, and an outstanding fielder. His all-round ability earned him recognition as one of the best cricketers in the history of the sport.One of his most memorable achievements came in 1958 when he scored an unbeaten 365 against Pakistan. It was then the highest individual score in Test cricket, a record that remained unbeaten for 36 years.
Sobers also made history in county cricket in 1968 while playing for Nottinghamshire. He became the first player to hit six sixes in a single match in first-class cricket, achieving the feat against Malcolm Nash of Glamorgan.He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975 for his services to cricket. In 2000, he was named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the 20th Century.His name also lives on through the Sir Garfield Sobers Award, the International Cricket Council’s annual award for the outstanding international cricketer in all formats.Sobers’ death marks the end of one of cricket’s most iconic careers, with tributes continuing to pour in from across the sporting world.