Stories
How Harbhajan Singh Predicted Virat Kohli Would Eclipse Rahul Dravid
N
News18•20-10-2026, 15:49
How Harbhajan Singh Predicted Virat Kohli Would Eclipse Rahul Dravid
- •Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh recalled that while Virat Kohli showed immense talent early on, he initially questioned if he would reach superstar status.
- •Harbhajan revealed he told Kohli back in 2008 that failing to surpass Rahul Dravid’s international run tally would mean not justifying his immense talent.
- •Kohli debuted in a 2008 ODI series against Sri Lanka and quickly proved himself by scoring a crucial half-century against the formidable Ajantha Mendis.
- •Kohli ultimately surpassed Dravid's career record, accumulating 28,527 international runs across formats compared to Dravid's 24,208 runs.
- •Harbhajan also credited Kohli and his team for revolutionizing the fitness and fielding standards in Indian cricket.
Key Questions Answered
Harbhajan Singh revealed that he told Virat Kohli in 2008 that if he did not break Rahul Dravid's tally of international runs, he would not have justified his exceptional talent.
Virat Kohli has accumulated 28,527 international runs across formats, successfully surpassing Rahul Dravid, who finished his international career with 24,208 runs in 509 games.
Harbhajan Singh credited Virat Kohli entirely for the major improvement in fitness levels within Indian cricket, noting that no one takes Indian cricket's fielding lightly anymore thanks to Kohli and his team.
