Delicious mind-boggling lassi in UP.

Last year somewhere in mid December, I had gone on a family trip to Uttar Pradesh to have a glance at the beautiful Taj Mahal. While on our way to the epic monument, we had crossed Mathura. There were various shops selling different variety of food stuff but once such shop hit my eye. It was this lassi shop that was situated near the Mathura temple. The delicious lassi looked pleasing to the eyes and I couldn’t help myself but to have one glass of it. Just as the creamy liquid curd touched my dry lips I could feel a sense of calmness. It refreshed me and I couldn’t help but ask for another glass of it.

As soon as I finished having it, the shopkeeper instructed me that I should smash the glass as hard as I can. I was taken aback by his words but he insisted that everyone who drinks the lassi should smash it. So I did as he said. That one glass of lassi was worth the 30 bucks!

Ruthless Rafa demolishes Thiem to secure 11th French Open title.

The stakes were high, especially for one man named Rafael Nadal, who was in his eleventh Roland Garros final and had never lost till date. On the other hand, was a young player named Dominic Thiem who reached his first ever Grand Slam final. While Thiem didn't have the experience of being in a Grand Slam final before, he was the only person who had defeated Nadal on a clay surface this season. High on confidence, Thiem knew he had it in him to do the unthinkable.

The match began on a sour note for the young Austrian as the King of Clay got an early break but the number seven seed hit back straightaway and broke Rafa. Good tennis started to kick in as Rafa was up 5-4. Thiem had to hold serve to stay in the game but unfortunately he was broken till love as Nadal clinched the first set 6 games to 4.
The second set began just like the first as Nadal got another early break. This time Rafa made sure he kept holding serve. He saw out the set despite Thiem trying hard to make a comeback into the match as Rafa took the second set 6 games to 3. Thiem started to feel the pressure as time was running out for him. He needed to win the third set to have any hope making a miraculous comeback. But Rafa looked ruthless and in the third set, broke Thiem early once again. There was no way back for the Austrian as the Spaniard earned himself a championship point. Thiem to pretty well to save four match points but on the fifth the King of Clay secured the win.
Rafael Nadal defeated Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 and in the process won his 11th French Open title, a truly remarkable effort.

Are online friendships as good as normal friendships?

The internet is such a beautiful thing, right? It is a platform which helps us to increase our knowledge and simultaneously, sit at home and meet new people; learn their cultures and get connected. Over the course of this connection, people tend to become ''internet friends".
Online friendships comes with a few drawbacks unlike the normal friendships we have. While in normal friendships we get to meet up with our friends and more importantly the face-to-face interaction is there which helps the relationship to grow. In online friendships, you don't have the luxury of constantly meeting your friend but with the advancement of technology there are apps which help you to video call. Though this is a very good way of keeping in touch with your internet friends but until you meet them, they will always be regarded as your secondary friends.
Through personal experience of having had a ton of online friends, I can say that it's not easy to keep up the pace with your internet friends than with your normal ones. It's hard because no matter how hard you try, you're bound to have a bridge separating you from your online friends.
Let me share with you a story of my own. I had a friend from Russia, let's say her name was Nat. Nat and I met through one of the social media apps and over the course of time, we bonded well. We started talking about everything a normal friendship talks about. We became so close that we talked daily and even had phone conversations via WhatsApp Call. All of a sudden, we hardly talked due to our respective busy life schedules. Before I end my story, I'd like to state that while we grow, we do realise one thing and that is, more normal friends who will physically be there than some people you've met over the internet. That's exactly what happened with Nat and me though I never ever wanted to break the friendship. According to her, a realisation hit her that she needed more real friends than online ones. Ever since that day, I keep asking myself"Aren't online friends real friends too*? IMO, yes they are. It will only work when both believe that it will work. Show each other that it's important to each other. Help each other in making important decisions. Being there for one other. I won't say I didn't do everything with Nat. I did. Maybe I wasn't to the level she wanted.
There have been many Nat's in my life who have raised the question "Are online friends worth it?". Thoughts have crept but I've been positive and kept making new online friends and hoping the next one doesn't turn out to be a "Nat". I've learnt from my previous mistakes. Mistakes like not always texting them. Giving them space. Touchwood, till now it's worked. I'm just hoping the current crop of online friends that I have will be the ones whom I get to meet in the near future and prove to them that online friendships can turn out to be great.
If you ever feel discouraged and have second thoughts about online friendships, throw it out of the window. Have a positive mindset. Get talking, not too much tho. Limit yourself from texting them everyday. Give them some space for talking to their normal friends. Make that improbable trip to their place of stay. And once you meet them, trust me, you'll not have to worry about the friendship being in jeopardy.

Halep brushes off demons to win her maiden Grand Slam title

Three Grand Slam finals prior to this and Simona Halep had lost them all. Determined to brush off her demons and capture the most elusive Grand Slam was not going to be an easy task against the current US Open Champion, Sloane Stephens.
Halep started off slowly and soon found herself down a break. She tried hard to make a comeback in the set but Sloane hardly gave her any chance and took the first set 6 games to 3.
The second set began and Halep once again found herself down an early break. With her back against the wall, she knew the only way up is to break Sloane's service game.  Halep started to find the baseline more often and soon broke Sloane for the first time in the match. The break did her a world of good as Halep looked a complete different player. She broke again and in no time won the second set 6 games to 4.
Sloane Stephens seemed to no answer to a rampaging Simona Halep and in the third set found herself 0-5 against the current World Number 1. With almost no hope of a comeback, Sloane delayed the inevitable by winning a game and taking Halep quite deep in the Romanian's match serving game as the World Number 1 kept her cool and secured the win.

Simona Halep defeated Sloane Stephens 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 and won her maiden Grand Slam title.

Five Afghani players to watch out for in the upcoming India vs Afghanistan test match

14th June, 2018 - a day, that will remind etched in every Afghanistani's lives. A day, that will bring joy to this terror-stricken country. A day, that will go down in Afghanistan history. Come 14th June, 2018 in Bengaluru and a group of eleven players will write their names in the cricketing history books. It's that day when Afghanistan will make their test debut against the number one ranked test team, India. By doing so, they will become only the twelfth nation to play test cricket and all the Afghani fans cannot wait for this historic day.
Let's take a look at five Afghanistan players who can play a crucial role in their country's debut test.

1. Rashid Khan
This 19-year old wonderkid needs no introduction. He has played in many T20 leagues across the globe and has done wonders for whichever team he's played for. Even in national colours Rashid has performed exceedingly well and that is why he is currently ranked the number one T20I bowler in the world. His quicker ball and wrong uns make him a treat to watch. Most batsmen have failed to pick him and it will be interesting to see how the Indian players go about trying to tackle him. Rashid is definitely Afghanistan's trump card and if he gets going (more often than not he does), India will have their task cut out.

2. Mujeeb Zadran
Another Afghan wonderkid who has broken into limelight after a stellar show with the ball in the U-19 World Cup in New Zealand where he helped Afghanistan reach the semi-finals. His brilliant performance earned him a maiden call-up to the national team for the World Cup Qualifiers and the 17-year old kid did not disappoint. He played an instrumental part in Afghanistan winning the Qualifiers by being the the joint most wicket taker with 17 scalps. Performances like that earned him an IPL contract with the Kings XI Punjab franchise. He had a great IPL season before injury forced him to miss the latter half of the tournament. With lots of good performances, Mujeeb will play a key role in Afghanistan's debut test.

3. Mohammed Nabi
When we talk about Afghanistan cricket, Mohammed Nabi's name will be right up there. Being the senior statesman in the team and having played for different franchises in the world, Nabi carries loads of experience. A genuine all-rounder who can get you wickets when needed and a finisher who can win you games on his own, Nabi will be Afghanistan's go to man in the upcoming test match versus India. Having done quite well with both bat and ball in the recently concluded T20I series against Bangladesh, Nabi will be determined to transfer such performances in test cricket too. Mohammed Nabi may well prove to be the X-factor for Afghanistani.

4. Mohammad Shahzad
Known as ''MS" by his teammates, Mohammad Shahzad is a huge MS Dhoni fan and somewhat bats like him too. The wicket-keeping batter, on his day can tear apart any given bowling attack as he is known for his aggressive batting. Afghanistan will rely on him to give them a pacy start and on which the team can build a score. Shahzad will know the importance of quick runs but at the same time, he'll have to contain himself from going for the big shots every ball. Test cricket is a different ball game altogether and it will be interesting to see how Shahzad makes that slight adjustment to his game. Nonetheless, he is a key figure for Afghanistan and will be keen to perform well in the historic one-off test match.

5. Asghar Stanikzai
The skipper of the Afghanistan national team, Asghar Stanikzai will be a key player for the historic one-off test match vs India. He will look to lead from the front just like he did in the World Cup Qualifiers and then again recently in the T20I series vs Bangladesh where Afghanistan blanked their opponents 3-0.  High on confidence and with a bagful of experience under his belt, the Afghani skipper will need to step up against the big boys. Over the years, Stanikzai has been a decent performer for Afghanistan but what stands out is his captaincy and the team will need their captain. Will Stanikzai be successful and become only the second ever skipper to help their country win it's debut test match? Only time will tell.

Top surprising moments in the history of the IPL

Ever since it’s inception in 2008, the Indian Premier League has grown in stature and is now one of the biggest, if not the biggest domestic cricket league in the world. Players from all around the globe have enjoyed playing and being part of this lucrative tournament. The fans have loved this mega event and it keeps getting bigger and better every passing year.
Over the past eleven seasons, the IPL has given us everything, from close finishes to individual brilliance to game changing bowling spells to match winning knocks to heated arguments. The list keeps going on and on. The Indian Premier League has also witnessed some surprising moments which made the fans go “Woooooooah, what just happened?”.

Here are the top 5 surprising moments in the history of the Indian Premier League.

5. Mumbai chased down 190 inside 15 overs.
It was the last round robin match in IPL 7 and both Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians came into the game knowing that a win would seal their place in the playoffs. While Rajasthan just needed a win, Mumbai’s task was slightly tougher as they required a big win to qualify. Put into bat, Rajasthan racked up 189 runs, thanks to a phenomenal 47 ball 74 by Sanju Samson and a quickfire 27 ball 50 by Karun Nair. Mumbai then realised that they needed to chase down the stiff target in 14.4 overs to qualify.
The road seemed tough but Corey Anderson had other ideas. He came in and blasted an unbeaten 44 ball 95 to give the Mumbai crowd hope. All of a sudden, wickets kept tumbling and Mumbai found themselves requiring a boundary off the next ball to not only win the game but also book their spot in the final four. In walked Aditya Tare, who kept his cool and pulled one of the most memorable strokes of his career with a huge six over fine leg to seal the deal for Mumbai. Everyone was left awestruck and dumbfounded and couldn’t believe their eyes.

4. RCB skittled out for the lowest IPL total ever.
In one of the most dramatic games in the history of the IPL which saw a star studded RCB unit crumble at the Eden Gardens to register the lowest ever IPL total in the history of the tournament, left everyone wondering what just happened. Nobody could believe their eyes but all the KKR fans at the Eden roared in delight.
Chasing a modest 132, set up by KKR, it seemed as if the batting heavy RCB outfit would romp home but what unfolded, left everyone surprised. The RCB skipper fell for a duck and right after his dismissal, wickets kept tumbling like nine pins and in just 9.3 overs they were bundled out for a paltry 49 with none of the RCB batsman reaching double digits. KKR won the encounter by a massive 82 runs and left all RCB fans stunned. With that, RCB held the record for the highest (263-5 vs Pune Warriors in 2013)) and lowest (49 all out vs KKR in 2017) totals in the history of the IPL.

3. Rohit Sharma’s hat-trick.
When we talk about Rohit Sharma, his sublime batting comes to mind but on 6th May, 2009, it was Rohit Sharma the bowler which left a long lasting memory in the minds of all cricket lovers.
Defending a modest 145, Mumbai Indians seemed to run away way with an easy win but then came the twist. Deccan Chargers skipper, Adam Gilchrist, tossed the ball to part timer Rohit in the 16th over. This move shocked all cricket fans but little did they know that this surprising move will soon turn out to be a masterstroke. In his fifth and sixth delivery, Rohit dismissed Abhishek Nayar and Harbhajan Singh which tilted the game in Deccan’s favour. The crowd went wild. Gilchrist gave Rohit another over and in his first delivery he found the edge of the in-form JP Duminy to complete a stunning hat-trick. He finished with impressive figures of 4 for 6 in 2 overs and helped his side to a 19 run win.

2. Gilchrist taking a wicket.
The Mumbai vs Punjab game at the HPCA ground in Dharamsala will be remembered for one surprising moment that occurred. It was a dead rubber as table toppers Mumbai had already booked their place in the play-offs while Punjab didn’t have a chance at all.
It turned out to be a one-sided contest as Punjab, who made 183 runs were calling all the shots. Mumbai never seemed to be in the game and were staring down the barrel. 19 overs were done and when the game was beyond Mumbai’s reach, the Punjab skipper surprised everyone. Playing in his last competitive match, Adam Gilchrist decided to bowl. He took off his wicketkeeping gloves and pads; handed them to Praveen Kumar and took his mark at the bowling end. This was once in a lifetime moment and all the fans at the stadium began chanting “Gilly, Gilly”. The Australian great bowled off-spin to another off spinner Harbhajan Singh, who tried to hoick him for a six but completely mistimed his shot and it fell straight into Gurkeerat’s hands who was stationed at long on. As soon as the catch was completed, Gilchrist bought out his dancing shoes and began doing the “Gangnam style” along with few of his teammates. It was his first ever wicket in his illustrious career and Gilchrist danced like there was no tomorrow. It was a moment which can never be forgotten by anyone.

1. Zaheer Khan comes out to bat at number 3.
The match between Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore had nothing special in it and it was just another normal game where Deccan Chargers, after being put into bat, finished on an impressive 175 on the back of a splendid 35 ball 61 by little known Bharat Chipli. Zaheer Khan was RCB’s best bowler with three scalps.
While chasing 176, RCB started poorly and despite a valiant effort by Virat Kohli, who scored a brilliant 71, they never got going and eventually fell short by 33 runs. What surprised everyone in this game was the decision made by the then RCB captain, Daniel Vettori, who shockingly sent Zaheer Khan in to bat at number 3. Yes, you read correctly - NUMBER 3! The ploy did not work as the Indian left-arm seamer was dismissed by Dale Steyn for a three ball duck. Later on, Daniel Vettori revealed that it was a team tactic to send Zaheer at three which obviously backfired.

5 Spirit of cricket moments in IPL

Over the past 11 seasons of the Indian Premier League, we have witnessed everything. From swashbuckling knocks to game-changing bowling spells, from last-ball finishes to super over madness, from brilliant hundreds to wonderful hat-tricks, from sensational catches to mind-boggling run-outs, the IPL has had everything. But what makes this lucrative league so memorable?True sportsmanship. Yes, you heard it right. True sportsman spirit makes it more memorable and moments like these bridge the gap between nations and leave a long lasting memory in the minds of all cricket lovers.
Here are five moments from the IPL that will make every cricket lover's heart melt.

5. Buttler and Parthiv don't run.
Mumbai openers Jos Buttler and Parthiv Patel were going hammer and tongs at the Wankhede against a decent KKR bowling attack when suddenly the former miscued a Chris Woakes slower one. The ball fell a few yards away from Chris Lynn, who, while attempting the catch, fell awkwardly and hurt his shoulder.
He grimaced in pain and cried for help. To everyone's astonishment, the umpires did not signal a dead ball and while everyone was worried about the Queenslander's condition, nobody noticed that both the Mumbai batsmen decided not to run. Full marks to Jos and Parthiv.

4. Steyn appreciating ABDV's knock.
In an IPL game in 2014, RCB required 28 runs off the final two overs and SRH skipper handed the in-form Steyn the ball to bowl the penultimate over. What transpired thereafter was something extraordinary by RCB's AB de Villiers who plundered his fellow countryman for 23 runs in an over and, in the process, guided his team to a special victory.
The victory was sweet but what made it sweeter was Steyn going over to de Villiers, wrapping his arm around the man of the moment and congratulating his fellow South African for his magnificent effort. This moment will forever remain etched in our memories.

3. Gautam Gambhir gives away his MoM award to Debabrata Das.
Gautam Gambhir led from the front and scored a gritty 63 off 52 deliveries against CSK in an IPL match in 2012 on a slow and sluggish wicket which helped his team get the better of the two-time IPL Champions in their own backyard. But this match is not remembered for his knock but for what he did after the game. Gambhir, who was fittingly declared the Man of the Match, called upon relatively unknown Debabrata Das and handed the MoM award to him. Das had played a 4-ball 11-run cameo which included the winning hit.
Gambhir later stated that Das deserved the MoM award more than him because he was the one who finished the game for the side.

2. Suresh Raina consoles Rishabh Pant.
Gujarat Lions set Delhi a daunting target of 209 in a game last season following which Delhi openers Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant got the team off to a flying start. The Gujarat bowling attack looked hapless and just when Pant was nearing his maiden IPL century, he nicked one to Dinesh Karthik and fell three runs short of a well deserved hundred.
He couldn't believe his eyes and stood there dismayed for a minute. While making his way back to the pavilion, the Gujarat skipper Suresh Raina walked up to the young man, patted his back and consoled the Delhi lad. Ten out of ten for Suresh.

1. Hashim Amla walks off despite the fielding team not appealing.
Put into bat on a decent batting wicket, Punjab knew they needed their in-form opener Hashim Amla to give them a good start but it was not to be. The man from South Africa seemed to have nicked one in the first over itself off RCB's Aniket Choudhary. Both the bowler and the wicketkeeper did not appeal but Amla walked off, knowing that he had hit the ball. How about that for honesty?

His honesty did not prove costly at all for his team as Punjab, who managed to score only 139 runs, did exceedingly well with the ball to restrict a batting heavy RCB side to just 119 and win the game comfortably at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. Amla's honesty will be remembered for a long, long time.

Canada's Global T20 League.

T20 Leagues across the globe have taken the world by storm, be it the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League, to name a few. Recently Canada joined the big boys and have created a league of their own known as the "Global T20 League". After getting the green signal from the International Cricket Council, the players draft began with five franchisees, namely, the Edmonton Royals, Montreal Tigers, Toronto Nationals, Vancouver Knights and Winnipeg Hawks all busy getting their squads ready and also a sixth team called the Cricket West Indies Representative Team. It was announced that the league would commence on the 28th of June with the final to be held on the 15th of July.

Take a look at the complete squad of the five teams.

Edmonton Royals
Shahid Afridi, Chris Lynn, Luke Ronchi, Mohammed Irfan, Sohail Tanvir, Christiaan Jonker, Wayne Parnell, Asif Ali, Hasan Khan, Agha Salman, Shaiman Anwar, Ammar Khalid, Satsimranjit Dhindsa, Ahmed Raza, Simon Pervez, Abraash Khan.

Montreal Tigers
Lasith Malinga, Sunil Narine, Thisara Perera, Mohammad Hafeez, Denesh Ramdin, Sandeep Lamichhane, Sikandar Raza, Dasun Shanaka, Isuru Udana, George Worker, Najibullah Zadran, Cecil Pervez, Mohammed Ibrahim Khaleel, Dilon Heylinger, Nicholas Kirton, Rayyankhan Pathan.

Toronto Nationals
Darren Sammy, Steve Smith, Kieron Pollard, Kamran Akmal, Hussain Talat, Ruman Rias, Nikhil Dutta, Johnson Charles, Kesrick Williams, Naveed Ahmed, Nasakat Khan, Farhan Malik, Nitesh Kumar, Usama Mir, Rohan Mustafa, Muhammad Umair Ghani.

Vancouver Knights
Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, Evin Lewis, Tim Southee, Chadwick Walton, Fawad Ahmed, Babar Hayat, Sheldon Cottrell, Saad Bin Zafar, Ruvindu Gunasekara, Srimantha Wijeratne, Kamau Leverock, Steven Jacobs, Salman Nazar, Rassie Van Der Dussen, Jeremy Gordon.

Winnipeg Hawks
Dwayne Bravo, David Miller, David Warner, Lendl Simmons, Darren Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Rayad Emrit, Ben McDermott, Ali Khan, Hamza Tariq, Junaid Siddique, Tion Webster, Rizwan Cheema, Hiral Patel, Mark Deyal, Kyle Phillip.

Calling for Love

Calling for love, I am calling for love.
My heart is beating, it's beating for love.

Reaching to the depths of your heart,
Let me feel it, don't tear me apart.
I need your love, I need your love;
You're the one all day I've been thinking of.

Calling for love, calling for love.
My heart is beating, it's beating for love.

I am nothing without your care and affection,
All I see in me is your reflection.
What is love without an embrace?
Take me away to a far away place.

Calling for love, I am calling for love.
My heart is beating, it's beating for love.

In your arms I want to be forever,
Be by my side, forever and ever.
You are my happiness, my all in all;
I need your love and that's why I call.

Calling for love, calling for love.
My heart is beating, it's beating for love.

Smith vs Kohli vs Root vs Williamson. Who is currently the best batsman in the world?

Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Kane Williamson, known as the "fab four" because of their excellence, are currently ruling the cricketing world with their spectacular batting prowess and it won’t be long before they rewrite the history books. In fact, they have already started on that endeavour but there's surely more to come. With their spectacular techniques and run scoring ability on any given surface they are without a doubt a class above the rest. These four young guns are currently their country's main batsman and having tasted captaincy for their respective countries, these young men will become more and more responsible as well as become a much better player with every passing day. You can hardly find any flaws in them and hence, it is really difficult for anybody to rank these players.
However, the question we always find ourselves asking is "Who the best of the best?" For that, we must delve deeper into their individual records which is what we are going to do right now.

 
STEVE SMITH
Starting off with none other than the captain of the Australian team - Steve Smith. With an exceptional test average of 62.49 and a One Day average of 41.84, his record speaks volumes about the man's hunger to score runs every time he steps onto the field to bat. He was a key factor in the Australian’s securing the World Cup in 2015 at home for a record 5th time. At just 28 years old, the man from Sydney is already making massive strides in becoming one of the Aussie greats. However, Smith's only major drawback has been his lack of run scoring ability in the T20 format and that might also be a reason why Australia are yet to win a T20 World Cup title. With the next T20 Cricket World Cup to be held at home in 2020, Smith will seek to lead Australia from the front to secure their first Cup victory in that format of the game.

 
VIRAT KOHLI
Next, we move onto the captain of the Indian team - Virat Kohli. The past couple of years has seen the rise of Virat Kohli who has been consistently scoring runs effortlessly for India across all three formats. After a torrid time in England in 2014 where he averaged just 13.5 in 10 outings, Kohli has been a different player ever since. He played a pivotal role in guiding his country to the Final of the Champions Trophy which ironically was held in England. However, prior to revisiting England, Kohli scored four double centuries in four successive test series (World Record) which helped his test average sail past 50. He recently played an instrumental part in team India's success in South Africa by amassing close to 1000 runs on that tour across all the three formats. His record for India in the limited overs format has been remarkable, averaging a whopping 58.11 in ODI cricket and a staggering 50.85 in T20's, fifteen more than the next best. With such impressive figures in all three formats, it would seem impossible to find any flaws in Kohli’s batting, but his major drawback though has been his inability to play on surfaces where the ball seams a lot, for example in England. Having said that, an average of 50+ in all three formats is no easy feat and being the only player in the world with such a record goes to show just how accomplished of a batsman he really is.

 
KANE WILLIAMSON
The third player we are going to look at also happens to be a captain – Kane Williamson, the New Zealand skipper. Like Kohli, Williamson is the only other player out of these 4 men to captain their respective countries in all three formats. With the added responsibility of being captain, Williamson has still managed to score runs for New Zealand in both Test and One Day cricket. Even though he has a T20 average of just 31.33, his test average of 50.62 and ODI average of 46.88 shows just why he will be the main man for New Zealand in the upcoming World Cup in 2019. Williamson's drawback has been his inability to convert his 50's into 100's. He has 67 scores of above 50 across all formats but only 28 hundred’s. Off late, he has been in good form and his brilliant captaincy helped New Zealand to a 5-0 whitewash against Pakistan in a recent ODI series at home. All eyes will be on the Kiwi skipper as he will hope to continue the good work and help his country to its first ever World Cup success, come 2019, a title which they haven’t won since 1998.

 
JOE ROOT
Last but not the least we move onto Joe Root, the only player on this list who not captain's his country in only one format. Root has been in phenomenal form for England across all three formats and ever since making his debut for the national team, he has never looked back. He has performed extremely well, series after series, almost as if he knows when to accelerate and when to play defensively. Root has got a wide range of shots and his ability to play on all sides of the wicket is a massive asset to the team. His test average of 52.79 along with his ODI average of 51.16 and T20 average of 39.11 speaks highly of his consistency in all three formats. Root's only drawback though, much like Williamson has been his inability to convert his 50's into 100's. Across all formats he has amassed 68 fifties but only 24 hundred’s. This has been one of the contributing factors to England’s inability to chase down big scores. Root is one for the future and England will hope that the English Test skipper will continue his rich vein of form in next year's Cricket World Cup and help his country win its first ever title.

 

Taking everything into consideration, Virat Kohli is, without a doubt the best batsman in the world right now with an average of 50+ across all formats, Steve Smith is a close second due to his staggering performances in Test match cricket. Joe Root in third followed by Kane Williamson.