"Probably the greatest all-format player" - Fab Four member's massive praise for Virat Kohli ahead of Day 3 of ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test [Watch]

New Zealand batting mainstay Kane Williamson heaped praise on former India captain Virat Kohli, referring to him as the "probably the greatest all-format player we've seen for the last 15 years". The 34-year-old said that Kohli managed to stay on top despite all the expectations on him in a cricket crazy country like India.

The 36-year-old retired from T20Is in June 2024 after winning the World Cup and announced his retirement from Test cricket in May 2025.

"Probably the greatest all-format player that we have seen in the last 15 years. Has its own challenges in an absolutely cricket-obsssesed country and he has been on top of that tree. Look there's great relationships and friendships with all of them in slightly different ways and stay in touch in a lot of ways as well," Williamson told Sky Sports on Saturday, July 12.

Williamson and Kohli not only played a lot of international cricket against one another, but also captained their respective countries at the Under-19 World Cup in 2008. A few days after the latter's retirement from the longest format, the New Zealander had stressed upon how Test cricket drained a player out and praised Kohli for the energy that he had brought to the format.

"It takes its toll and it takes a huge amount of energy and the energy he's brought to the game and how he's grown the game in all formats over so many years," Williamson had said.

Virat Kohli makes an interesting analogy after being asked about his retirement from Test cricket

Virat Kohli opened up about his decision to retire from Test cricket, recently, saying that he had colored his beard a couple of days ago. He hinted that such actions had indicated to him that he was ageing as a person.

"I just colored my beard two days ago. You know it's time when you are colouring your beard every four days," Kohli had said (via The Times of India).

There is no clarity over when the fans would get to see Kohli play in India colors again after the tour of Bangladesh scheduled for August was postponed to September 2026. The team is scheduled to travel to Australia for a white-ball series in October 2025.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee