'Probably the greatest all-format player that we have seen in the last 15 years' - Kane Williamson's massive praise for Virat Kohli
"Has its own challenges in an absolutely cricket-obsssesed country and he has been on top of that tree," Kane Williamson said about Virat Kohli.
Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli have come a long way since the 2008 Under-19 semi-final, where India beat New Zealand by three wickets. Incidentally, Kohli dismissed Williamson in that game as the Kiwi batter was stumped by Shreevats Goswami down the leg-side.
While Kohli debuted in international cricket in 2008, Williamson had to wait for two more years to break into the New Zealand playing XI. They showcased exemplary consistency from their early days on the international circuit and formed a part of the 'Fab 4' alongside Steve Smith and Joe Root.
The former New Zealand captain, Williamson, recently had massive praise for Kohli during an interview. Williamson described the former India captain as the best all-format player in the game of cricket in the last 15 years. The Kiwi legend also lauded Kohli for being able to handle the pressure of expectations that is associated with playing for a cricket crazy nation like India.
"Probably the greatest all-format player that we have seen in the last 15 years. Has its own challenges in an absolutely cricket-obsssesed country and he has been on top of that tree. Look there's great relationships and friendships with all of them in slightly different ways and stay in touch in a lot of ways as well," Williamson told Sky Sports on Saturday, July 12.
Kohli retired from T20I cricket in 2024 and Test cricket in May. However, he is still a part of India's ODI setup and also represents Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Meanwhile, Williamson hasn't taken retirement from any format in international cricket as yet but he has not signed a professional contract with New Zealand Cricket (NZC) since last year. This allows the right-handed batter to pick and choose the assignments he wants to be a part of.
Shoaib Bashir injures himself while attempting a catch
Williamson has played 105 Tests, 173 ODIs, and 93 T20Is, scoring 19,087 runs. On the other hand, Kohli has featured in 123 Tests, 302 ODIs, and 125 T20Is, amassing 27,599 runs.
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