On a long road to recovery after a successful ICC World Cup campaign for Virat Kohli-starrer Team India in 2023, veteran pacer Mohammed Shami has weighed in into the best batter debate amid the ongoing Test series between Rohit Sharma's men and England. After losing the series opener to the Bazball-friendly England side, Shami-less India bounced back by crushing Ben Stokes and Co. in the recently concluded 2nd Test at Visakhapatnam on Monday.
Pacer Shami was targeting his comeback in the five-match Test series against England. Shami kickstarted his training session following the South Africa Test series. The veteran pacer last played for Rahul Dravid-coached Team India at the One Day International (ODI) World Cup. Recovering from an ankle injury in the 2024 season, pacer Shami was recently asked to handpick the best batter in the world.
'Virat Kohli is the best'
Settling the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) debate by picking the best batter, Shami gave a special mention to former India skipper Kohli. Interestingly, Shami also acknowledged skipper Rohit as the most dangerous batter in the world. “Virat Kohli is the best batsman in the world. He has just broken a lot of records. I feel Virat is the best but if you ask me who the most dangerous batter in the world is, I would say Rohit Sharma,” Shami told News18.
Kohli beats Shami for ODI Cricketer of the Year award
While Shami was India’s standout performer, skipper Rohit and ex-captain Kohli topped the batting charts at the ICC World Cup. Leading from the front, skipper Rohit guided India to a perfect ten in the round-robin phase of the World Cup. Shattering a plethora of records, batting icon Kohli finished the tournament as the leading run-getter. Kohli also eclipsed Shami to win the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year award for the 2023 season.
Rohit vs Kohli vs Dhoni: Shami picks India's best captain
{{/usCountry}}While Shami was India’s standout performer, skipper Rohit and ex-captain Kohli topped the batting charts at the ICC World Cup. Leading from the front, skipper Rohit guided India to a perfect ten in the round-robin phase of the World Cup. Shattering a plethora of records, batting icon Kohli finished the tournament as the leading run-getter. Kohli also eclipsed Shami to win the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year award for the 2023 season.
Rohit vs Kohli vs Dhoni: Shami picks India's best captain
{{/usCountry}}In his illustrious white-ball career, speed merchant Shami represented India under the leadership of Kohli, Rohit, and MS Dhoni. When asked to name India's best-ever captain, Shami explained why Dhoni is in a league of his own. Former India skipper Dhoni is the only captain to have won a T20 World Cup (2007), 50-over World Cup (2011) and ICC Champions Trophy (2013). “It’s different for everyone. Everything comes down to comparison. Obviously you will go with the person who is most successful. So, I’ll go with Mahendra Singh Dhoni because whatever he has achieved, no one has been able to eclipse that,” Shami added.