I have been a massive Virat Kohli fan over last 14 years: Nasser Hussain

Former England captain and commentator Nasser Hussain has opened up on Indian talismanic batter Virat Kohli’s retirement from the longest format of the game. Nasser revealed the reason why he turned out to be a massive fan of the Indian batting stalwart.

In his podcast with Sky Sports Cricket, Nasser stated that Kohli was the one who symbolised passion for cricket more than any other cricketer as far as Indian cricket is concerned, terming him an unbelievable player.

"I have been a massive Virat Kohli fan over the last 14 years. His stats speak for themselves, but he was so much more than that. It was his aura, swagger, and passion. We know Indian cricket fans, and the game means so much to them. They want their captain to show them what it means to the team, and no one embodied that passion for cricket in India more than Kohli. He was an unbelievable player," Nasser Hussain said on a Sky Sports Cricket podcast.

Furthermore, Hussain asserted that Kohli was always desperate to win, which is the end goal for him. He added that Kohli doesn’t want to be a normal cricketer but he wanted to make India into the force they are today.

"He is the ultimate winner, he sees the end goal as a win, and he is desperate for that. Everything for Kohli is about winning. Why do you think he's so good in run chases? He can't go on the field and not be a hundred percent, he can't ever go: 'I'll just do my best today'. That may have formed part of his retirement decision, he doesn't want to be a normal cricketer, just doing a little bit here and there. He made India into the force they are today," he added.

Interestingly, Team India will travel to England without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the five-match Test series, starting on June 20. This series will fall in the new World Test Championship cycle.

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