Steve Smith might be miles ahead of Virat Kohli in the longest format but the former Australia captain has the utmost respect for his Indian rival.
Their rivalry will be renewed in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024, starting from November 22. But ahead of the much-anticipated series, Smith has already revealed why he regards the former India captain, so highly.
“I believe Virat Kohli is Australian in thoughts and action. The way he gets into a battle, the way he 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,” Smith said in a video posted by Star Sports on ‘X’, formerly Twitter.
.@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
The gulf in class between Smith and Kohli is quite visible as the Australian has an average of 56.97 while the former India captain has scored 8,846 Test runs at an average of 49.16.
However, Smith downplayed the rivalry, which also sees the duo in the Fab Four list alongside Joe Root and Kane Williamson.
“There’s no real, you know, 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 and that’s what it’s all about,” Smith said.
Notably, the duo share a great camaraderie, and their relationship grew even more fonder after Kohli defended Smith from the mocking fans during his return to cricket after the ‘sandpaper gate’ scandal.
Smith is excited to face him again in the upcoming series.
“We get on quite well, share messages every now and then and look, he’s a great guy and obviously a wonderful player. It’s going to be nice to come up against him again this summer,” Smith said.
