The magnetic aura of Virat Kohli continues to captivate the cricketing world, as the Australian cricket team players couldn’t help but sing his praises when they were asked to pick one Indian player they wanted to play for their team. Well, the competition was between Virat and Jasprit Bumrah.
Well, whether it’s Virat Kohli’s batting dominance or Jasprit Bumrah’s mastery with the ball, India cricket team stars have left an indelible mark on their fiercest rivals, Australia, and their praise for these iconic cricketers proved that.
Australian players hail Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah as India’s finest
In a candid discussion on ABC Sports, Kohli emerged as the undisputed favorite among Australian stalwarts like Mitchell Marsh, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, and Alex Carey, as they highlighted his unparalleled skills, charisma, and ability to elevate his game against any side.
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Glenn Maxwell, having shared the RCB dressing room with Kohli, acknowledged the Indian batting maestro’s knack for delivering against Australia. Alex Carey and Mitchell Marsh echoed similar sentiments, acknowledging Kohli’s superstar status and his aura as both a player and a person.
Nathan Lyon said on ABC Sports: “Well if you had a batting order with Steve Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, and Virat Kohli, it must be pretty handy.”
Mitchell Marsh: “One Indian player, I think. I think it’d be cool to play with Virat.”
Alex Carey: “I’d love to play with Virat Kohli. Yeah, yeah, just a superstar. Person and player.”
Glenn Maxwell, “Well, it’s probably hard to go past my RCB teammate. Virat, that’s going to be a popular answer. I don’t really care what he does against other nations, but it seems like every time he gets to Australia, he grows a couple of inches and just brings his best performances. He’ll be hard work this summer.”
Steve Smith and Travis Head want Jasprit Bumrah in Australia team
Meanwhile, the bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah also won admiration for his lethal bowling skill set. Steve Smith and Travis Head named the Indian pacer as a dream teammate, with the latter hilariously hinting at the relief of not having to face Bumrah on the field.
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Steve Smith: “Jasprit Bumrah. Yeah, he’s pretty good. Good skill set.”
Travis Head: “Boomrah. Don’t have to face him.”
Usman Khawaja: “All time or just current? Just got current. Yeah, Virat.”
While Pat Cummins avoided choosing a single player, Usman Khawaja stuck to the current era and leaned towards Kohli as his ideal pick.
Pat Cummins: “I wouldn’t pick one.”
Watch Here:
If you could pick one current Indian player to play on your team, who would it be?
We asked some of the stars of the Aussie men’s teams! 👀
Catch every ball of the Summer of Cricket, live and ad-free, on the ABC listen app: https://t.co/VP2GGbfgge pic.twitter.com/H19TWH35DI
— ABC SPORT (@abcsport) November 28, 2024
Meanwhile, Kohli made a stunning comeback to his form by smashing his 30th Test century during India’s 295-run win over Australia in the first Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
India is currently leading the five-match Test series 1-0, while the second game will be a day-night affair at the Adelaide Oval, starting on December 6. However, the Kangaroos have a great record with the pink ball, so they would love to make a comeback in the Adelaide Test against India.