Virat Kohli is the best batsman across all formats in 2016, says Sourav Ganguly

The current poster boy of Indian cricket, Virat Kohli, has been in the form of his life in 2016, having notched up some superb performances across all the three formats. In the eleven Tests Kohli played in 2016, he has amassed 1200 runs with an average of 80 with four centuries, which also includes three double centuries. In 50-overs cricket, Kohli has a staggering average of 92.37 with three centuries. But that’s not all – in the shortest format of T20 cricket, Virat has had an amazing year, having owned the 2016 IPL season where he scored four brilliant tons.

So recently in a show for ESPNcricinfo, when Sourav Ganguly was asked about who he thought was the best batsman across all formats in 2016, it was no surprise that India’s former skipper mentioned the name of Virat Kohli. Ganguly, who also said that one should not discount AB de Villiers from the list, believed overall numbers made Kohli stand out in 2016. Ganguly said, “You cannot forget AB de Villiers, he is as good as Kohli although he has been out with injuries in recent times. But when you look at the runs score in all the three formats, Kohli has probably been the best batsman of 2016.”

Ganguly also said that Kohli has scored runs across countries and not just in Indian conditions. “Kohli scored four back to back hundreds in Australia, so we cannot say that he scores only in India. And given the number of runs Kohli has scored across all formats – be it ODIs or T20I – I think Kohli is the best batsman.”

In fact, in comparison to the other top batsmen in world cricket – Steve Smith, Joe Root, Kane Williamson, and David Warner – Kohli is the only player to have improved his average from the start of this year till the month of December. Kohli’s batting average in Tests risen to 50.53 as compared to 44.02 at the start of 2016.

Talking about Kohli's improved average, Ganguly said “It's not just the averages that made Kohli stand out as a batsman this year, but it also the way he has scored those runs. Most of his runs came under pressure situations. He was the standout performer when his team needed him, whether it was when India were down 28 for 2 at Vizag, or in Mumbai when England posted 400 in the first innings. He led from the front to score a superb 235 and completely shut England out to take India to match winning position.”

Ganguly also praised Kohli's performances in the ODI format, ”Whenever India bat second, Kohli comes in and delivers. Yes, we might have some great players from other teams, but Kohli is slightly ahead of everyone else.”

Ganguly also mentioned that as a captain, Kohli’s impact is just a bit more than everyone else.

The only place where Kohli has failed to score is England, where he failed miserably in 2014. Jonathan Trott, who was also present on the show, was asked if Kohli can deliver results when he next visits England. Trott said, "It’s just a matter of time. India has a five-Test series coming up in England, and Virat should be able to score runs in those conditions.”