Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell named Indian batting icon Virat Kohli as the “best-ever” in ODI cricket, hailing his ability to time the ball well and put it into gaps effortlessly. Maxwell was speaking on the ‘Keeping it Cricket’ podcast, with former Australia cricketers Brad Haddin and Alyssa Healy as hosts. Speaking on his all-time bests across formats, Maxwell first mentioned Virat for ODIs, saying, “The best I ever saw in one-day cricket, is Kohli. Like, some of the innings he has played against us have been ridiculous. He has just got more time. He is able to put the ball where he wants in the field, and yeah, just a different level.”
They hit the ball so hard and far, and to back that up, he was bowling 140 clicks and fielding in hot spots. In 607 T20s, Russell has made 9,919 runs at an average of 26.03 and a strike rate of 166.70, with two centuries and 36 fifties, with a best score of 121*. He has hit a total of 808 sixes in the format. With the ball, he has taken 535 wickets at an average of 25.57, including 10 four-wicket hauls and a five-wicket haul, with best figures of 5/15. Smith is the fourth-highest Test run-getter for Australia, with 10,920 runs in 125 matches and 223 innings at an average of 56.00, with 37 centuries and 45 fifties, and a best score of 239.
Because of his power, fine fielding and ability to bowl 140 clicks, all at the same time, in T20 cricket, he named West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell, who is still active on the league circuit, as the best.
He is just literally a perfect cricketer,” said Maxwell on the West Indies titan’s T20 credentials. “In T20s, it is hard to go past someone like Andre Russell. Just their power is ridiculous. If they keep going, you cannot stop them.
“I got to be a part of the Test squad in 2017 in that series in India (scoring 499 runs in eight innings, with three centuries) where he peeled off a couple of hundreds and was just batting on a different planet. I felt lucky to be a part of that squad just to be able to witness that,” he signed off. Oh, I think he got three hundreds during that tour. He was just incredible.
