'We just go out and play the game' - Steve Smith dismisses rivalry talks with Virat Kohli

The highly anticipated Border Gavaskar series is just a few hours away with both teams eager to take the field amidst the controversy surrounding the Nagpur pitch. As two era-defining batters, Steve Smith and Virat Kohli, are set to collide in the upcoming series, the Australian batting ace hushed talks of a rivalry with the former Indian skipper.

Former Australian skipper Steve Smith, who is highly regarded as one of the best red-ball cricketers of this generation, boasts a formidable record against India. However, he dismissed talks of a rivalry with India's batting superstar Virat Kohli, stating that he is focused on his own batting and helping his side to victory in the series.

“No, I don't think so. I'm not sure whether he thinks there is or not. I'm not entirely sure that I certainly feel like. We just go out and play the game and try and do the best for our team. Yeah, hopefully, score some runs along the way to help us have success. 

"That's the main goal for me. I don't feel like I'm batting against anyone or anything like that and trying to compare myself to any other batters. I just wanna go out there and do my job and hopefully help the team have success,” said Smith in an interview with Hindustan Times.

When Kohli gets going, he is one of the best batters to watch in the world: Smith

The Aussie batter lauded Kohli for his ability to up the ante against the bowlers even in challenging situations. However, he hoped that the 34-year-old has a quiet series against Australia, increasing the visitors' chances of a series victory.

“I think the way he's able to take the bowlers on, really put them under pressure. I think that's a huge strength of his. He scored runs all around the world. His ability is to score both sides of the wicket. He's patient when he needs to be and he's been an amazing player for a very long time in all formats of the game. So, hopefully for us, this series, he doesn't score too many. But you know, when he gets going, he is one of the best batters to watch in the world,” said Smith.

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