"Virat Kohli is not someone.."- Mitchell Starc passes brutal verdict before India vs Australia faceoff

Australia left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc shared his excitement about facing star Indian batter Virat Kohli again in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25) series. Mitchell Starc also stated that his encounters with Virat Kohli have been about cricket rather than any personal rivalry.

Virat Kohli has been in the headlines since his arrival in Australia for the upcoming five-match Test series. The Australian media has already started fueling the competitive atmosphere, with The Daily Telegraph featuring a front-page image of Kohli alongside the headline "Fight for the ages" in Hindi.

I Got To Play Alongside Virat Kohli For A Couple Of Years - Mitchell Starc

In a recent conversation, Mitchell Starc said that he got to know Virat Kohli off the field during his stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL. He revealed their on-field encounters have always been about cricket. Starc mentioned that neither he nor Kohli tries to provoke each other.

"I got to play alongside Virat for a couple of years in the IPL, so I got to know him off the field a bit and I have always enjoyed the battles together," Starc told cricket.com.au.

"But I don't think it's like him or I have cracks back or forth. It's more about the cricket and enjoying the contest. So he's not someone I have riled up or tried to rile up. You just have to try and let the cricket do the talking," he added.

The left-arm pacer has dismissed Kohli four times in Test cricket. However, the right-handed batter has a good record against him in the longer format of the game. The Indian batter has scored 236 runs off 394 balls, with an average of 59. It will be interesting to see their rivalry in BGT 2024-25.

Want Him To Come Out Of His Comfort Zone - Marnus Labuschagne

Marnus Labuschagne stated that Australia's bowlers will aim to make Virat Kohli uncomfortable during the series. He emphasized that the key to troubling Kohli is to push him out of his comfort zone and force him to take risks. Labuschagne said that Kohli becomes a very dangerous player once he settles.

"You want him to come out of his comfort zone and try to force the game. When he lets the game come to him, he is a very dangerous player," said Labuschagne.

Virat Kohli Going Through Lean Patch Ahead of BGT 2024-25

Talking about Kohli, he has had a challenging outing across formats in 2024. He has scored just 488 runs from 25 innings in 19 international matches at an average of 20.33 and only two half-centuries.

The 36-year-old managed to score only 93 runs in three Tests against New Zealand and 99 runs in two Tests against Bangladesh. He will be aiming to silence his critics during the first Test match, which is scheduled to take place in Perth on Friday, November 22.

Also read: Mohammed Shami accused of age fraud right before Australia's departure!! Legal trouble looming