Virat Kohli is the best batsman and captain: Ian Chappell

Ian Chappell is one of Australia's greatest. Chappell captained the Australian side during the golden era and hails as one of the finest.

With cricket action on halt owing to the outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Q&A sessions on social media have become a common activity. These live chats have allowed the cricketing fraternity to interact with the fans and reveal some insights on their lives beyond the 22-yards.

The 76-year-old cricket pundit was on a live chat with ESPN Cricinfo's Raunak Kapoor, picked his choice between Indian captain Virat Kohli and Australia's Steve Smith.

Chappell was asked to name the better cricketer between Kohli and Smith. Before answering, he questioned back, “As captain or batsman?” To which Kapoor said, “You tell me.” Chappell then added, “I’d take Kohli both ways, as captain and batsman.”

The Indian captain features in the top 10 list of all the three formats. He ranks first in the ODIs. In 2018, Virat Kohli led the Indian team to their first-ever test series victory on Australian soil. The 31-year-old is the only cricketer to have an average of over 50 in all three formats of the game.

Steve Smith, on the other hand, returned to international cricket after serving a 12-month ban following the ‘sandpaper gate’ back in 2018.  He regained his number one spot in the top 10 test batsmen rankings after success in the 2019 Ashes series, where he was the top run-getter.

Centuries Comparison: Virat Kohli vs Steve Smith

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