Kane Williamson, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith And Joe Root - We Have Been Lucky To See Them In One Era

When we were growing up in the 1990s, the likes of Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting were the ones who battled to be called the best batters in the world. As the millennium turned and we entered the second decade of the 2000s, some new faces took over.

Yes, we have seen the brilliance of AB de Villiers and David Warner is really good across formats, but when it comes to consistency and pleasure to watch, four names stand out. Who are we talking about? None other than Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Steve Smith and Joe Root. Yes, these 4 are the pinnacle of true batting.

Between 2012 and now, these guys have dominated across formats and they are pretty good. All have led their teams at some point and it has only improved their form. We have been truly lucky to see them at the same time.

Virat Kohli is pretty much the best ODI batter now. He is scoring runs at will and is set to break many of Sachin's records by the time he is done. He will turn 34 this year and is expected to be around till 2027. One can only imagine what all he can do.

Kane Williamson is the old wine that ages gracefully. Ice cool, the man can construct an innings or go hammer and tongs as and when needed. He plays according to the situation and while is not intimidating in his demeanour, the man packs a mean punch with the willow.

Steve Smith's unusual stance may make him look susceptible to good bowling but do not let that fool you. He is the best Test batter in the world right now and loves big scores. When he gets a good score, the team benefits as a whole. Bowlers are known to heave a sigh of relief when they see the back of him early on.

Joe Root looks like a schoolboy, but he has made several bowlers feel like schoolboys by treating them with disdain. Once he gets his eye in, he is difficult to dislodge. What makes him really dangerous is that he appears to do nothing different and yet finishes on top. An asset on the side for a sticky situation.

These guys are all in their early 30s right now. In 10 years' time they will have moved on to other things and there will be new faces to witness. But we can thank our good fortune that we got to see these 4 gifted batters play in the same era. It is almost impossible to choose a favorite, or pick who is the best. But one thing for sure, any captain worth his salt would love to have all four in the side. Now that would be one deadly batting order. The only source of comfort for bowlers is the fact that they do not play for the same country. But if we had a World XI, these guys would be the backbone of our batting.