Kohli has won more matches single-handedly than anyone in 'Fab 4': Tamim

Virat Kohli broke his century drought in Tests with a couple in 2023, but this year, he has not crossed the 50-run mark in his four innings so far. In the first innings in Chennai, he was dismissed poking at one outside off, edging it through to the wicketkeeper, as he has done on many occasions in his career. 

However, recently, there have been talks of Joe Root, who has been in prolific form lately and could very well end his career as the highest run-getter in Tests. Then there are other members of the Fab 4 — Kane Williamson and Steven Smith — who, over the last 3-4 years, have outscored Kohli.

Is the pressure of comparison getting to Kohli? Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel certainly does not think so. "I don't think he's feeling that kind of pressure. And as you rightly mentioned, I don't think Smith, Joe Root, or Williamson can even think of the type of pressure he must be feeling.

"The pressure of expectation, that is huge. He has set his standard so high that even if he scores 60 or 70, that comes across as a failure. Because every time he walks in, we expect him to score 100. We expect him to play with that kind of intensity, which he has always been playing.

"But you have to understand that he is also getting older, but that zeal to play Test cricket and to do well does not die, and it will never die as long as Virat Kohli is playing Test cricket. But yeah, I think I don't think he would be feeling that kind of pressure to perform. But the expectation of us is always high because of the standard which he has set."

Agreeing with Parthiv, former Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal added that no other member from the Fab 4 has as sinle-handedly won more matches than Kohli especially in white-ball cricket. 

"I think yes in Test match cricket, the Fab 4 that we are talking about have done wonders. Because in Test match cricket, basically as a batter, you can't win a game single-handedly. There are two innings and everything," he said.

"But we also call them Fab 4 in white-ball cricket and hands down, in what Kohli has done for India, amount of games that he has won single-handedly, I'm pretty sure none of the other three has won that many of the games. And as you mentioned because of the amount of pressure that he goes through, I think those three combined do not have the similar pressure."

In the ongoing Test series against Bangladesh, Kohli scored 6 (6) in the first innings and followed that up with 17 (37). He will look to bounce back with a big score in the ongoing second Test in Kanpur.

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