I believe Virat Kohli is Australian in thoughts and action: Steve Smith

Star Australia batter Steve Smith opened up on his friendship with Virat Kohli ahead of the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, slated to begin on November 22. Notably, this will be Kohli’s fifth tour to Australia as he has played 13 matches in Down Under and scored 1352 runs at an average of 54.08. He has been very successful in the country and will be hoping to play a vital part in the upcoming five-match Test series.

Meanwhile, Smith noted that Kohli has the Australian aggression. He believes that the Indian cricketer is Australian in thoughts and actions and tries to get on top of the opposition. Smith also added that he is looking forward to facing Kohli in the upcoming Australian summer.

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“We get on quite well, share messages every now and again. Look he’s a great guy and obviously a wonderful player. So, it’s gonna be nice to come up against him again this summer,” Smith said while talking to Star Sports.

“I believe Virat Kohli is Australian in thoughts and action. The way he gets into it at all the way gets into the challenge and tries to get on top of the opposition. He’s probably the most Australian of the Indian players, I’d say,” he added.

.@stevesmith49 describes @imVkohli in his own way, talks about his approach on the field and looks forward to face him in the #BorderGavaskarTrophy! 🏆

Catch them in action in #BGTonStar, FRI 22 NOV onwards! 🏏 pic.twitter.com/29ruvJSUpk

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) September 10, 2024

There’s no real, I need to beat him or anything like that: Smith

Smith believes that there’s no competition between him and Kohli. Notably, the 35-year-old turned into an opener after David Warner retired from Test cricket and ever since, Smith’s form has dipped. Barring that unbeaten 91-run knock against West Indies in the second innings at Gabba, he hasn’t been at his best.

Meanwhile, it’s unclear whether Smith will be opening in the upcoming India series. However, he is determined to play well and bring success to Australia and is not focusing on competing against Kohli.

“There’s no real, I need to beat him or anything like that. It’s just about going out and playing and trying to score as many runs as I can and helping Australia have success. That’s what it’s all about,” Smith said.