Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara says Virat Kohli can become the greatest cricketer to have played the game. 

These comments seem relevant after Kohli sealed a perfect 2018 by becoming the first player to be named the ICC Cricketer of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and ODI Player of the Year in January. 

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Sangakkara was no slouch himself. The former Sri Lanka skipper is sixth on the all-time Test run-scorers list with 12 400 runs in 143 matches at an average of 57.40. Like Kohli, he was also able to back his Test record up in the ODI format and is second on the highest scorers’ list with 14 234 runs in 404 matches at an average of 41.98. 

Kohli is currently the No 1-ranked ICC Test and ODI batsman with 10 533 runs in 222 matches at an average of 50.80 in ODIs and 6 613 runs in 77 Tests at an average of 53.76. 

He has 39 centuries in ODIs, behind only Sachin Tendulkar – who scored 49 from 463 ODIs, the most by any player. 

These stats have proved worthy enough for high praise from Sangakkara, one of the best cricketers to have graced the game. 

‘Everything about Virat’s game stands out. I think he is head and shoulders above anyone else in world cricket today,’ Sangakkara told India Today news channel.

‘And I think he will be one of the greatest ever cricketers, if not the greatest ever,’ said the Sri Lankan batting great.

‘He has this incredible knack of scoring runs and has a very, very solid method that he believes in.

‘If you see the tempo that he bats with, it hardly changes. He does read the situation very well.

‘He is a very passionate guy, you see that in his expressions on the field… it’s the overall aspect of both the person and how he has sorted his batting and his attitude.’

Photo: Ishara S.Kodikara/Getty Images