Watch: Joe Root, Kane Williamson kicked aside as Steve Smith picks best 'fab-4' batter

Former Australian captain Steve Smith recently chose the best batsman among the ‘Fab Four,’ which includes Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and himself. Steve Smith excluded Joe Root and himself while singling out one player as superior among the four.

Virat Kohli ranks fourth among international cricket’s leading run scorers, behind Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, and Ricky Ponting. The former Indian skipper scored 765 runs during the ODI World Cup 2023 and earned the Player of the Tournament accolade.

Watch – Steve Smith picks the ‘best batter’ in the world

Steve Smith, who went unsold in the IPL 2024 auction, hailed Virat Kohli as the world’s top batsman. Smith is presently in India for IPL 2024 commentary. In a recent video by Star Sports, Smith mentioned Kohli’s name when asked about the superior batter.

 

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Virat Kohli Representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru In IPL 2024

Virat Kohli recently returned to action during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 after missing the five-match Test series against England. The right-handed batter opted out of the series to be with his wife, Anushka Sharma, during the birth of their second child, Akaay.

The 35-year-old batter scored 21 runs off 20 balls during the IPL 2024 opener against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 22. However, the former RCB skipper bounced back in the second match, hammering 77 runs off balls against the Punjab Kings in Bengaluru.

Kohli became the first Indian and third overall to amass 100 fifty-plus scores in T20 cricket during the match against PBKS. The veteran cricketer smashed 92 half-centuries and eight centuries in T20 cricket, solidifying his legacy as a prolific scorer in the format.

The Delhi-born cricketer will next be seen in action during the match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday, March 29. The batter will hope to continue his good form in the upcoming clashes.

Kohli needs three more sixes to surpass Chris Gayle’s record of the most sixes for one team in the history of the marquee tournament. The batter currently has 237 sixes in 239 IPL matches for RCB, while Gayle achieved 239 sixes during his tenure with the franchise.

Quite Like Mitchell Starc’s Match-Up To Virat Kohli – Steve Smith

Speaking on ESPNCricinfo’s Timeo, Steven Smith expressed anticipation for the clash between Virat Kohli and Mitchell Starc in the upcoming match. Smith highlighted Kohli’s missed opportunity against Sam Curran in the previous game against the Punjab Kings.

“I quite like [Starc’s] match-up to Virat, the ability to swing the ball back down the line as a lefty. We have seen him [Kohli] get out on a few occasions to Shaheen Afridi, Trent Boult, Mohammad Amir. In the first game against Punjab Kings, Kohli had an opportunity off Sam Curran dropped at slip. So I quite like the left-handed match-up,” Steve Smith said.

In their IPL encounters, Mitchell Starc and Virat Kohli have never faced off against each other. The left-arm pacer hasn’t managed to dismiss Kohli in T20 matches. The former RCB skipper has scored 47 runs off 28 deliveries against him in the short format of the game.

Starc, who returned to the IPL after a hiatus since 2014, had a disappointing performance against SunRisers Hyderabad, finishing with figures of 4-0-53-0.

Also read: Not CSK! Steve Smith names the IPL team that will stay unbeaten in IPL 2024