Kohli ideal for number three slot, says Ganguly

Gangulay says Virat Kohli is the ideal batsman to fill in the number three slot left vacant by Rahul Dravid`s retirement.

Kolkata: In red-hot form having scored four hundreds in his last five innings, youngster Virat Kohli is the ideal batsman to fill in the number three slot left vacant by Rahul Dravid`s retirement, former India skipper Sourav Ganguly said on Monday.

"He is the next big thing in Indian cricket. I`ve never seen a better one-day innings in my 22-years career. I hope he fills up the place of the champion Rahul Dravid at No. 3," Ganguly said referring to Kohli`s 148-ball 183 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup on Sunday. Talking on the sidelines of the launch of a documentary on his cricketing career, `The Warrior Prince`, Ganguly also congratulated Sachin Tendulkar for completing 100 international centuries. "I had always said it was a matter of time. It`s a colossal achievement. I congratulate Sachin. I only sent a text message," he said. During the DVD launch of the documentary directed by Mitali Ghosal, Ganguly spoke to commentator Harsha Bhogle about the key phases of his career beginning with the 1991 tour of Australia to his retirement in Bangalore in 2008. Describing the Big Three (Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid`s) career, Bhogle joked: "While Dravid would fit one to a picture perfect National Geographic mode, Tendulkar`s would be a blockbuster. Ganguly`s life would be of drama, full of emotions, ups and downs...". PTI