Virat Kohli is the best batsman in the world and can get under your skin: Tim Paine

Indian captain Virat Kohli is arguably the greatest batsman to have ever graced the game, and his records across formats are nothing but sensational. Be it playing a marathon knock in Test matches or scoring quick runs in T20Is, Kohli rose to every challenge which came his way. While the Delhi-born cricketer has piled up runs against several oppositions, Australia has to be one of his most favourite teams.

Australian cricketers are known to get under the skin of oppositions, and so is Virat Kohli. Hence, playing against Aussies brought the best out of the Indian skipper. He has played several memorable knocks against the five-time World Champions and has also got involved in heated arguments with several Aussie players. Australian Test captain Tim Paine also falls in that category as on multiple occasions, he and Kohli have been spotted in heated verbal exchange. However, the veteran wicket-keeper had some nice things to say about Kohli in a recent interview.

Virat Kohli is so good and so competitive: Tim Paine

Paine was in a conversation with Adam Gilchrist and Tim Gossage on the “Gilly and Goss” podcast, where he was asked to say something positive about Virat Kohli. In reply, the Aussie skipper heaped massive praises on his Indian counterpart and even called him the best batsman in the world. Addressing Kohli’s competitive nature, Paine asserted that Kohli is challenging to play against as he gets under the skin of the opposition.

“For Virat Kohli, I’ve said many times, he seems the type of player you would love to have on your team. He is competitive, he is the best batsman in the world. He is challenging to play against and he can get under your skin because he is so good and he is so competitive. But yeah for me from where I came from, sharing a feud with him four years ago, He is certainly someone I will always remember,” Paine said.

India’s ‘sideshows’ distracted Australia during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy asserts Tim Paine

The 36-year-old grabbed the headlines recently but for all the wrong reasons. Paine claimed that India’s ‘sideshows’ distracted Australia during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and hence, his side lost the home Test series by 2-1. Unsurprisingly, Paine’s remarks didn’t go down well with the Indian fans as they mercilessly trolled the Australian cricketer on social media.