Star Australian cricketers Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith consider Virat Kohli to be the “most Australian” among all Indian players. Both players consider Kohli’s thoughts and actions make him similar to an Australian.
Kohli has been an aggressive cricketer throughout his career. His ability to deliver his best performance when he engages in banter with the opposing team has been the highlight of his career.
He has played an incredible number of innings against Australia throughout his career. Moreover, Kohli has an exceptional record in Australia, which makes him a very dangerous player for them.
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Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith consider Virat Kohli to be the ‘most Australian’
During a chat with Star Sports, Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith were asked about the Indian cricketer who is most Australian in his thoughts and actions. The answer for both was quite simple: Virat Kohli.
Starc believes Kohli’s ability to play in big games and his penchant for competing with the opposition makes him similar to an Australian.
“I think Virat Kohli is the most Australian player. He’s a player who performs in big games. The way he approaches the game, the way he thinks about the game. He loves to be involved in the competition, which I think a lot of Australian players do,” Starc said.
Performance in big matches ✅ Goes all in on challenges and battles ✅ Never-back-down attitude ✅ #MitchellStarc and @stevesmith49 believe #ViratKohli would be a perfect fit for the Australian team based on his thoughts and actions. 😬💪🏻
Watch #ToughestRivalry in action during… pic.twitter.com/myNvSWimVl
– Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) September 26, 2024
Meanwhile, Steve Smith echoed Starc’s thoughts and stated that Kohli loves battles and trying to outscore the opposition, something that many Australian players also like.
“Virat Kohli is Australian in thought and action. The way he goes into battle, the way he faces the challenge, the way he tries to outscore the opposition. He is probably the most Australian of Indian players,” Smith said in the video.
Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith will be in action in the five-match Test series between Australia and India later this year, barring any late injuries. Both will be key to Australia’s chances of winning their first Border-Gavaskar trophy in a decade.
Virat Kohli’s role in Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25
Meanwhile, just like Starc and Smith, Virat Kohli will be extremely important for India’s chances. He has not been in great form of late and India will be hoping that their talismanic batsman regains form quickly.
Kohli has the best record in Australia among all foreign nations. In 13 Tests played in Australia, the 35-year-old has scored 1352 runs at an average of 54.08, with 6 hundreds and 4 fifties.
The 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy promises to be a thrilling series between two of the world’s best teams in Test cricket. India have dominated Australia on their last two tours of Australia, winning the series on both occasions by 2-1.