Rohit Sharma, Steve Smith are good but Virat Kohli is the best: Mohammad Yousuf

The never-ending debate over the ‘Fab Four’ batsmen of the modern era always hogs the limelight. Over the years, there have been several batsmen who have gained the status of ‘world-class’ batsmen due to their consistency across all three formats. There have been plenty of contenders for the ‘Fab Four’.

Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who has earned the status of a ‘modern-day’ great due to his consistency, is the foremost contender of the ‘Fab Four’ list. Other players like Rohit Sharma, Steve Smith, Joe Root, Babar Azam, Kane Williamson, and David Warner are also regarded as deserved contestants for this elite list.

Offering his two cents about the debate, former Pakistan middle-order batsman Mohammad Yousuf also opened up about his preferred choice. Speaking about the ‘Fab Four’ during an interaction with Sportstar, Yousuf rated Kohli a level higher than the likes of Rohit, Smith, Root and Williamson.

The way Kohli handles pressure is unbelievable: Mohammad Yousuf

“In today’s times, there are quite a few good players – Rohit Sharma, Joe Root, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson. But Kohli is the best across formats. The way he bats, the way he handles pressure in each innings and scores centuries or the way he plays – that’s unbelievable,” said Yousuf.

After breaking into the national side in 2008, Kohli paved his way up to the top. Combining resilience with technique, the right-hander emerged as one of the best batsmen across all formats post the 2011 World Cup. Records kept tumbling as the prolific run-scorer showed the world a glimpse of his potential by smashing 183 against Pakistan in Asia Cup 2012.

At present, Kohli has most double centuries by an Indian in Tests (7), 11 Test tons in SENA countries, is third in the list of most international hundreds (70). Furthermore, the Indian skipper also averages over 50 in all forms of the sport. Considering his staggering record, he is touted to break Sachin Tendulkar’s record of most international centuries in international cricket.

Mohammad Yousuf also played down comparisons between Kohli and Pakistan’s new batting sensation Babar Azam. He opined, “There is no doubt that Babar is a solid batsman, but it’s not right to compare as both are zabardast players in their own domain. Kohli is the No.1 at the moment, he is a great player.”

Kohli was last seen in action during India’s tour of England where he failed to dazzle with the bat. After clinching the T20I series against the Kiwis, the Men in Blue suffered a whitewash in the subsequent ODI and Test series.