Former England fast bowler James Anderson has claimed that Indian batter Virat Kohli is the greatest finisher in the history of cricket.

Anderson, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 42, with a career spanning over two decades, has been seen the game’s transition between two eras of the game.

Over the years, there have been several players who have been regarded as top finishers in the game, which is considered to be one of the more difficult, high-pressure batting roles in cricket.

Why did James Anderson say that Virat Kohli is the greatest finisher in cricket history?

Former England pacer Anderson was speaking on the ‘Tailenders Podcast’ when he was asked about Indian batter Virat Kohli, particularly after his Player of the Match performance in the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph against South Africa, in Barbados.

In reply, Anderson praised Kohli for his incredible record chasing, calling him the greatest batter while chasing a game.

“His record chasing is absolutely phenomenal. I don’t know if there’s been a better batter in the history of the game while batting second or chasing down scores.”

“In the 50-over format in particular, the number of hundreds he has scored in the second innings, chasing down scores is ridiculous,” the 42-year-old fast bowler said.

Anderson opined that Kohli enjoys batting in such high-pressure situations while chasing because of his strong mentality and high self-belief.

“It is no surprise that when he gets in that situation, with his mentality, it is just like it is meant to be. His self-belief is so high,” he added.

Looking at his praise for the Indian batter, the host asked Anderson if Kohli is the best white ball batter ever.

“I can’t say that. I was thinking more in terms of just chasing. [As for the best white-ball batter ever,] Michael Bevan from Australia comes to my mind, particularly in the late 1990s and early 2000s – he was just phenomenal coming in at number six and doing that job,” he said.

While Anderson credited Bevan as a white-ball great, he said that in terms of chasing and taking his team over the victory line, Kohli is the greatest finisher, saying that he can’t think of many better white-ball players.

“Kohli batting at number 3 gets those hundreds while Bevan was renowned for getting his 50s, 60s and being at the end, while Kohli gets the big score, to get his teams over the line. I honestly can’t think of a better finisher and greater white-ball players than him [Kohli].”

What is Virat Kohli’s record while chasing in white-ball international cricket?

Kohli averages over 60 runs per inning in both the 50-over and 20-over formats of the game, while chasing or batting second in a match.

Format
Innings
Runs
Average
Strike Rate
50s
100s
Highest

ODI
155
7852
64.36
93.56
40
27
183

T20Is
48
2013
67.10
136.47
20
0
94*