WATCH: Kane Williamson picks the greatest all-format player

Just before the start of the third day’s play of the third Test between England and India at Lord’s, the eyes, for a short period, was on the former New Zealand Test captain, Kane Willamson, who was practicing outside the ground as he prepares himself for the T20 Blast game and later the County Championship 2025 clashes for Middlesex. 

Williamson, under whom the Blackcaps won their very first ICC WTC trophy, picked the former Indian captain, Virat Kohli as the ‘greatest all-format player’ they had seen for the last 15 years. He described how the right-handed batter had been continuously scoring runs across the three formats and has shouldered the responsibility of the cricket-loving country for such a long time.

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“Virat (is) probably the greatest all-format player we have seen for the last 15 years. He has his challenges right in an absolutely cricket-obsessed country, and to be at the top of the three. You know, look, there is a good relationship with all of them, in slightly different ways, and we stay in touch in a lot of ways as well. But there is not that competitiveness.” Williamson expressed on Sky Sports Cricket.

WATCH: Kane Williamson picks Virat Kohli as the greatest all-format player

‘It was quite funny, with a full circle, and that’s the other part of that. It’s not only about playing cricket but you also have lived your life in some parallel way for a huge percentage of life. These are the things you experience when you get older a lot, but yeah, these are on different levels.’ The former Kiwi captain looked back at the appearance he had with Kohli a few days ago.

Both these individuals have shared a strong relationship over the years, with a special picture moving around the circle where Kohli put his head on Williamson’s shoulder. The Delhi-born is currently the third leading run-getter in international cricket with 27599 runs in 617 innings at an average of 52.27 and a strike rate of 79.18, thanks to 82 centuries and 143 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 254 runs.

Kohli, who has already retired from the Tests and T20Is, is expected to return to the ODI format for India through the probable Sri Lanka series, or the upcoming Australia trip in September.