The discussion about who’s the best batsman today is something that everyone has an opinion on. Cricket now being a three format game the performance of batsmen are now judged across all formats. Currently, in international cricket, the most prominent and consistent batsmen are the Fab 4. Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root are carbon copy as a batsman in all forms of the game.
Former Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews recently had to pick who among them is the best batsman in the world. Mathews who has been a regular feature in the Sri Lankan squad has played against each one of them. The all-rounder picked Indian skipper Virat Kohli as the best batsman across formats today.
Angelo Mathews picks his best batsman
“I would go with Virat Kohli as he is one of the most consistent after (Kumar) Sangakkara”, he told Anis Sajan in a recent interaction.
This should not come as a surprise as Kohli has been a favourite choice of several former and current cricketers. The run machine of India has a staggering record across all formats. He is the only batsman on the planet who averages over 50 in Tests, ODIs and even T20Is.
The 31-year-old has been the leading the run-scorer across all formats in international cricket successively in the last four years. Kohli’s prime fitness allows him to dominate and be a match-winner in all forms.
Virat Kohli currently has 70 international centuries and is only behind Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting. The Indian captain was last seen during the second Test against New Zealand earlier this year before COVID-19 peaked. Since the lockdown, he has been training at home in a makeshift gym. He is keen to make a return to the field and is likely to come back with the IPL, scheduled to take place in the UAE.