"To Get To 50 Hundreds...": Kane Williamson's Ultimate Praise For 'Best, Getting Better' Virat Kohli

17.11.2023 - 04:09 sports.ndtv.com

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson hailed record-breaking Virat Kohli as "the best" batsman in the world and warned India's rivals that the superstar is "getting better." India, who Williamson described as a "blue machine", defeated his side by 70 runs in Mumbai on Wednesday to reach the World Cup final.

India piled up 397-4 with Kohli hitting a record-setting 50th one-day international hundred before being dismissed for 117 and Shreyas Iyer making 105.

Mohammed Shami then took a sensational 7-57 under the Wankhede Stadium floodlights as New Zealand, the losing finalists at the last two World Cups, and 2019 semi-final conquerors of India, were bowled out for 327.

A world-class batsman in his own right, Williamson paid tribute to Kohli, who surpassed the record of 49 ODI hundreds he had shared with Sachin Tendulkar as the retired India great looked on from the stands at his old home ground. "That's something quite special, I think if you play 50 games, some people would call that a great career," said Williamson. "But to get 50 hundreds...and not just that, actually the way he goes about it, it's actually about winning games for his team." The 33-year-old added: "I mean he's the best, isn't he?

cricket India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team Kane Williamson World Cup 2023 Virat Kohli Sachin Tendulkar Daryl Mitchell New Zealand India county Kane county Williamson

Last year, Indian cricket saw a very controversial episode as Virat Kohli stepped down from Test captaincy. The manner in which Virat Kohli's captaincy stint in the Indian team ended left a lot of questions. While the talismanic batter had himself decided to leave India's T20 captaincy, he was subsequently not persisted with in the ODI format also. Not long after, Kohli announced the decision to step down as the team's Test skipper too.

"You Will Not Be Spared": Pakistan Star Recounts Warning Virat Kohli Before Dismissing Him

Any India vs Pakistan clash is a closely watched affair. It's a match where reputations are made and destroyed. Virat Kohli is a player who has seen many India vs Pakistan contests, often dominating the arch-rivals. However, during Pakistan's Tour of India in 2012-13, Virat Kohli was dismissed thrice by the same bowler. That bowler was Pakistan left-arm pacer Junaid Khan. The veteran has recalled he warned the Indian cricket team before dismissing him.

"It's Time For Him To...": AB De Villiers On Virat Kohli Opting Out Of SA ODIs And T20Is

India squad for the upcoming all-format tour of South Africa was announced on Thursday and it came as a shocker for many. Regular skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli will be missing out from the ODIs and T20Is while Yuzvendra Chahal and Sanju Samson finally earned their call-ups. Rohit and Kohli's absence from the white-ball series against the Proteas has created a stir among the fans about the future of the two players. Kohli had an exceptional outing in the recently concluded ODI World Cup and former South Africa batter AB de Villiers backed his decision of resting from ODIs and T20Is.

India vs South Africa Squad Announcement Live Updates: Will Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Make The Cut For T20Is?

India's tour of South Africa Live Updates: With India set to tour South Africa next month for three T20Is and three ODIs, followed by a two-match Test series, India captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli's future in white-ball cricket remains a doubt. On the eve of the fourth T20I against Australia, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is expected to announce India's T20I and ODI squads for the South Africa tour during a press conference.

Virat Kohli Challenges Shubman Gill For No. 1 Spot In ODI Rankings, Goes Up To...

Star India batter Virat Kohli's hopes of regaining the number one spot in the ICC Men's ODI Rankings has gained further momentum after a stellar run with the bat in the recently Cricket World Cup. Kohli scored a tournament best 765 runs and was named 'Player of the Tournament' for his exploits. As a result, Kohli has jumped one place to third on the latest rankings, only 35 rating points behind current leader Shubman Gill. Gill (826 rating points) holds on to a narrow lead at the top of the batter rankings ahead of Pakistan's Babar Azam (824), who recently stepped down as captain of the team across formates.

Watch: Glenn Maxwell's Throw Hits Virat Kohli In World Cup Final. Here's What Happened Next

A funny reaction of Virat Kohli from Cricket World Cup 2023 final match is going viral on social media. The Indian star was in the crease when a throw from Maxwell almost hit Kohli on latter's head. The batter showed good reflexes to bring his right hand in the line the ball in time while bending down to save himself. In the follow-up, Maxwell was spotted saying something to Kohli with a smile on his face and the latter brushed shoulders with his Australian opponent in a funny exchange.