Who is the best batsman in the world? – This debate is never-ending but that does not stop the cricketing fraternity from indulging in it. Every now and then, players, pundits as well as fans keep revealing their picks for the best in the world and recently, Pakistan pacer Mohammad Irfan also joined the discussion.
At present, the contenders for the best batsman in the world are Virat Kohli and Steve Smith. Both Kohli and Smith have scored heavily around the world and have shown unprecedented consistency. Kohli is widely regarded as the best all-format player in the world while Smith is being considered by many as the best Test batsman in the world.
Pakistan star Babar Azam has joined the race too. Pakistani fans have already started calling the right-handed batsman best in the world although Babar is yet to reach the heights achieved by the likes of Kohli and Smith. Well, as far as Mohammad Irfan is concerned, the best batsman in the world is Kohli. He had no hesitation in naming the India captain as the best in the world at present.
“If you see overall in the world, the best batsman at this moment is Virat Kohli,” Mohammad Irfan said during a chat with Pakistan broadcaster Sawera Pasha on her Youtube chat show ‘Cric Cast’.
Mohammad Irfan, who played against Kohli in that ODI series in 2012 which Pakistan won 2-1, went on to lavish praise on the Indian captain and said that Kohli’s ability to attack the weaker bowlers makes him so successful.
“The way he plays, the biggest thing in him is that he calculates and plays. He just scores 5-6 against the good opposition bowler and covers up against the weaker bowlers,” added Mohammad Irfan.
Kohli has scored heavily across formats in last few years and is the only batsman with average of more than 50 in all the three formats. He has already hit a staggering 70 centuries and 104 half-centuries in international cricket. With 43 tons to his name, he is second in the list of most centuries in ODIs.