Rohit Sharma has been the standout batsman of the World Cup: Kane Williamson

Rohit Sharma has absolutely been awe-inspiring in the 2019 World Cup in England and Wales. The 32-year-old is currently the leading run-scorer of the mega event with 647 runs in eight matches at an average of 92.42. At the Headingley in Leeds, the right-hander notched his fifth ton of the tournament and is the batsman with the most number of centuries in a single edition of the World Cup.

The Nagpur-born is also 26 runs behind Sachin Tendulkar’s record (673) of most runs in a single World Cup. The ton versus Dimuth Karunaratne’s men was also his third in a row after the ones against England and Bangladesh. Having finished atop the points table, the Virat Kohli-captained Men in Blue are now set to cross swords with New Zealand in the first semi-final at the Old Trafford in Manchester.

Meanwhile, Kane Williamson, the Black Caps’ skipper, mentioned that Rohit is the best batter in the World Cup thus far. “Rohit has been the standout batsman in this tournament so far. Without a doubt, he has been superb in this World Cup,” the 28-year-old Williamson was quoted as saying to the reporters at the pre-match post-conference.

Virat Kohli used to be an all-rounder

This won’t be the first time when Kane and Virat will be facing off in a knockout game of a mega event. Back in 2008, India and New Zealand played the semis of the U19 World Cup. India came out victorious and went on to win the championship. In that game, Virat had got rid of Kane. Remembering those moments, Williamson cheekily said that Kohli was an all-rounder back then.

“I hadn’t thought about it at all. It’s pretty special to lead your country on such a big stage. It’s a really exciting opportunity. Virat used to be an all-rounder back then. He doesn’t bowl that often now,” the Tauranga-born cricketer stated.

Moreover, Kane is privileged to see Virat emerge into a brute force. “Virat at that tournament (U-19 World Cup) was also a formidable player. We have played each other on numerous occasions. It has been a pleasure watching Virat evolve and become such a great player,” the Kiwi skipper added.