Steve Smith and Virat Kohli may be fierce competitors on the field, but the Australian batsman on Wednesday called the Indian captain the "best ODI batsman in the world."
Australia's Steve Smith and Indian captain Virat Kohli are among the two leading batsmen in the world at the moment. The two are often by many experts and fans alike as two of the best batters in world cricket among the current generation. Both the players share mutual admiration for each other, however.
On Wednesday, Steve Smith was asked by a fan to name the best ODI batsman in the world. And the Aussie cricketer had no hesitation in naming the Indian captain for the tag. "Virat Kohli at the moment," wrote Smith. He replied to the fan's query during an Instagram Q&A session.
Smith is currently in England where the Australian side is preparing for a strong comeback in ODIs after conceding a 2-1 defeat in the T20I series.
Smith on Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli also admires Steve Smith and his gesture towards the Australian cricketer during the 2019 World Cup spoke volume about the mutual respect between the two.
Kohli had urged the Indian crowd to stop booing Smith during the group game as the former Australian captain was making a comeback to the side after the infamous ball-tampering scandal. Smith also acknowledged Virat's gesture, as he shook hands with him following the completion of the over.
Samson was further asked on his opinions on KL Rahul and Rajasthan Royals teammate Sanju Samson. While he used the word 'gun' for Rahul, he called Samson 'talented'.
Smith will be leading the Royals in the 2020 edition of the Indian Premier League. The side will kickstart its tournament on September 22 against Chennai Super Kings in Sharjah.
