Virat Kohli the best batsman in white-ball cricket, says Sri Lanka all-rounder Isuru Udana

Abu Dhabi: India skipper Virat Kohli is the best white-ball batsman in the game right now, according to his Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate and Sri Lankan pacer Isuru Udana, who also named Ravindra Jadeja as the top all-rounder in this format. Speaking about the best players in white-ball cricket, Udana picked Australian pace ace Mitchell Starc as the best bowler. “I think the best batsman in white-ball cricket is Virat Kohli, best bower I’ll go for Mitchell Starc and I like Ravindra Jadeja an all-rounder,” was quoted as saying in a media release. Udana is set to assume the responsibility of being the Icon player for the Bangla Tigers in the second season of the Abu Dhabi T10, slated to be played at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium from 28 January to 6 February. [caption id=“attachment_9206401” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  File image of all-rounder Isuru Udana. Sportzpics[/caption] “The Abu Dhabi T10 will be a fun tournament. We can enjoy a lot. The T10 format is especially a bit hard for bowlers, but it will be enjoyable. I am really excited to be part of the Bangla Tigers family and I can’t wait to join the players and start playing with them,” Udana said. The Sri Lankan will be up against West Indian legend Chris Gayle when his side faces Team Abu Dhabi in the tournament and the left-arm pacer feels it’s vital to execute one’s plans against the flamboyant batsman. “Whenever you have to face the ‘Universe Boss’, you have to execute your plans very well so I am just thinking about my plans and I want to execute them well.” The 32-year-old, who has an excellent bowling average of 25.17 in T20s, said he is looking forward to playing with Andre Fletcher in the Abu Dhabi T10. “We have a good team. I am waiting to play alongside Andre Fletcher (West Indies). I have seen him perform well in the Big Bash League. There are a lot of good players in the other teams as well and this is going to be a great tournament for all of us.” It has not been an easy time for any sportsperson since the the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world. “It’s not easy to do our gym and running sessions during a pandemic since we can’t go out every now and then. I think during this time, one has to believe in oneself and back one’s strength. That’s the main thing,” Udana said. “The best advice I would like to give to upcoming players is that they should try to enjoy the game. And the other advice I can give is that they should try to execute their plans well.”