'Virat Kohli Best Batsman of This Era': Australian Legend's Huge Remark Ahead of World Cup Final

Virat Kohli seems to have rediscovered his century-making form that firmly put him in the list of greatest batters to have played the game.

Having gone without a century for nearly two years, the India batter superstar recently became the first man in history to record 50 ODI centuries, thereby surpassing the great Sachin Tendulkar in the lost of most ODI hundreds.

Time and again, Kohli has been compared with his peers including Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root inviting fierce debates over who is the best of them all.

In the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup in India though, Kohli has proven ahead of the pack thanks to a stunning form that has seen him cross the mark of 700 runs in the competition which is the most any batter has managed in a single edition of the quadrennial event.

Follow all the action from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 including the World Cup schedule, World Cup 2023 results, and ICC Cricket World Cup points table. Players are vying to top the World Cup 2023 Most Runs and World Cup 2023 Most Wickets charts. 

While Kohli has starred with the bat for India, Australian Steve Smith has struggled to get going.

Legendary Australia captain Ian Chappell admits Smith hasn’t been at his best so far and adds that Kohli probably is the best batter of the current era.

“Let’s go back to Kohli first. He doesn’t anymore but there was a point in his career where he averaged over 50 in all three formats. Now, that’s remarkable performance. I think Kohli is probably the best batsman of this era. I like his attitude,” Chappell said on Wide World of Sports.

:I heard him interviewed about batting and I think’s he’s got a terrific approach to batting. The other thing to look at is his fitness. He is 36-years of age, have a look at how he was running between the wickets. He is obviously put fitness right up there,” he added.

India and Australia will be contesting for the ODI world title this Sunday in Ahmedabad.

Despite not at his best, Chappell feels Smith will be key to Australia’s chance in the title clash should the pitch assist spinners.

“Steve Smith, he is an important man in this Australian side, even though he hasn’t played his best. He plays spin better than anyone in the team and that might be really important in the final. Steve Smith tries to play his own way and that is important, but to me one of the crucial guys for Australia will be David Warner at the top,” Chappell said.