Every time Virat Kohli takes the field in an Indian jersey these days, the discussion revolves around whether he will be in the team XI for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Allan Donald believes he will.
Virat, along with fellow senior pro Rohit Sharma, has been playing only ODIs, having retired from Tests and T20Is. The topic of their relevance in the 2027 Cup, which will be hosted in South Africa, is constantly debated by the pundits and the common fan alike.
Donald, who has seen Virat from close quarters during his stint as a bowling coach with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, thinks the former India captain is still good enough to play Test cricket.
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen hunger in a player other than Virat. I’ve got massive respect for him. I often talk about it in the dressing rooms and chats about being a champion trainer.
“There’s no one that trains as hard as him. He is just a machine,” Donald told a select media gathering during SA20.
“I actually miss him in the Test match arena. I think he’s retired too early, but yeah, I have no doubt we will see him in the white-ball arena in the World Cup very, very soon,” the South African pace-bowling great added.
T20 tips for SA
But the 2027 World Cup is still some distance away. The 2026 T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, is nearer, just about a month away. Donald says that South Africa have a balanced squad.
“It’s going to be a heck of a tournament in India, isn’t it? South Africa picked a very strong squad. There might always be question marks about who’s not going and who should have gone and all that kind of stuff,” Donald said.
The former speedster feels that since the pitches in India suit batters more, South Africa will have to be smart in their bowling.
“I think India have got the best T20 wickets on the planet. It’s just so hard for any bowler and I’ve seen it in the IPL with scores 124 in a Powerplay. That’s just where the skill of batting has gone.
“If you can win the inches from a bowling point of view and plot your way very carefully and smartly, then, you know, it’s going to come down to that again. So, I hope to see South Africa in the final as well,” he said.
The 59-year-old was delighted to see the progress SA20 has made.
“I was fortunate enough last year to be with Durban Super Giants and being in their dressing room. It feels like an IPL atmosphere.
“And not that this tournament will be as big as the IPL but from a South African point of view, this is as good as it gets.”
With inputs from PTI