India vs New Zealand: Have enjoyed watching Virat Kohli grow, says Ross Taylor

Virat Kohli had played with Ross Taylor in Royal Challengers Bangalore. (Source: AP)

New Zealand’s Ross Taylor said that Virat Kohli’s aggression and the way it rubs off on his teammates makes him a tough opponent. In an interview with India Today, Taylor said that the Indian captain will go down as one of the best players to have ever played the game. “At the end of the day, when you play the game you have to be true to yourself,” said Taylor, “And I love his aggression which rubs off on other players and as the opposition you know you are in a contest when you play against him. I don’t think it will change with Virat until the time he does retire. He is a fantastic player to watch and one has to be always competitive against him.”

Taylor has played with a number of teams in the Indian Premier League. His first was Royal Challengers Bangalore in the inaugural season. Rahul Dravid was captain of the squad and Virat Kohli was only one of the younger batsmen in the lineup. “Look I have enjoyed watching Virat grow and have followed his progress from the young player of 2008 for RCB to the player he is now. Him and Williamson are very similar. Batsmen who ask questions at a very young age and you can see the class at very young age,” said Ross Taylor, “To see him where he is today and the consistency he has and now with the added responsibility of captaining the country that he has taken with both hands. I am sure for the next however long he wants to play, he will be one of the best players of all time to have played the game. Which is high praise for a player of his age.”

While India are led by Kohli, New Zealand have Kane Williamson, himself considered one of the best batsmen of this generation. Taylor, being a former captain himself, said that it is up to him and the other senior players in the squad to take as much pressure off Williamson as possible so that he can play his natural game. In a way for me it’s now trying to take as much responsibility off Kane,” he said, “He is a world-class player in his own right and captainship can sometimes affect players. So myself Guptill and Latham have to try and take the pressure of Kane so he can do his main skill and score runs and win games for us.”

Taylor is part of the New Zealand squad that are touring India for a limited overs series. The first leg of the tour is a three-match ODI series that will be followed by a T20I rubber of as many matches. Taylor’s involvement in the IPL and his status as one of the leading batsmen in the world across formats has helped him gain a considerable following in the country. “India is a unique place to play and a place I have always enjoyed. Indian crowds are knowledgeable and they love the game. Players have had enough IPL games now to have a following. I have played for four different teams. The Indian crowds will try their best to enjoy good cricket.”