Tendulkar leads Twitter praise for Kohli's 'special' knock

Social media was abuzz with praise for Virat Kohli after he single-handedly guided India to the semi-finals of the ICC World Twenty20 with a master-class unbeaten 82-run knock in the must-win match against Australia in Mohali on Sunday.

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar led the tributes for Kohli, terming his innings as a 'special' one. 

"Woooow @imVkohli ...special it was... Great win, fighting all the way! #IndvsAus," Tendulkar tweeted.

Australian spin legend Shane Warne, while commenting on Tendulkar's praise for Kohli, said, "Great knock by @imVkohli. Reminded me of one of your many special innings buddy !!!!!"

Another batting legend, Brian Lara, said Kohli was an 'unbelievable' batsman. 

"Anyway can anyone send me videos of @imVkohli as a teenager batting #unreal best timer of a cricket ball I have seen," the West Indian great wrote on his Twitter handle. 

"He is just an unbelievable batsman! No need to say anymore."

Kohli's teammates Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Shikhar Dhawan also praised him for his batsmanship.

"Well what can I say! There are players who are in form and there is @imVkohli who wins you games again and again ! Hats off you beauty," Yuvraj tweeted.

Harbhajan added: "JEO KOHLI JEO MERA SHER. What an inn... @imVkohli @BCCI what a champion player you are my little brother. swad aa Gaya yara drallo drallllll?????????" 

"Hats off to Virat's great knock!! Lot of learning from him!!??????," Dhawan tweeted.

Former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was also full of praise for Kohli. "Great performance by India and a great innings by @imVkohli," he tweeted.

Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Anurag Thakur tweeted: "Great effort @imVkohli. You've shown a great temperament. All the best Team India for semis. @BCCI."

Australian cricketers Glenn Maxwell and just-retired Shane Watson, who witnessed Kohli's brilliance from close quarters, said they were beaten by a cricketin genius. "Well... That innings was a different level...Not a lot more to say really...Absolutely shattered. Beaten by one cricketing genius. #toogood," Maxwell wrote.

Watson added: "@imVkohli What an absolute pleasure to witness that tonight. INCREDIBLE. Can't wait to finally be on the same team @RCBTweets. #waytoogood."

Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson, who had stirred up a debate by saying that Kohli does not perform in big matches, chose the occasion to applaud the India's genius.

"Well to be fair, he definitely stepped it up for this T 20 World Cup. Too good in the end"

Former India captain Anil Kumble tweeted, "Genius @imVkohli! What a knock! #IndvsAus #WT20."

Indian off-spinner R Ashwin compared Kohli's knock to the memorable innings by Tendulkar in Sharjah. 

"Sandstorm from sachin at Sharjah, and the hailstorm in Mohali from @imVkohli should be written in the same paragraph," he tweeted.

Applause also trickled in from other former cricketers including former South African opener Herschelle Gibbs.

"Just saw some of @imVkohli innings tonight, special! Nice to see someone who enjoys the big stage and the big moments"

"And once again @imVkohli and @msdhoni show how it's done! Congratulations," added former India pacer R P Singh.

 Coverage: ICC World T20 2016