Rumman Raees confident of getting the better of Kohli, de Villiers and Smith

After getting off to stunning start in international cricket, Raaes said he is up for the challenge for the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Steve Smith and is confident of getting them out.

His teammate Mohammad Amir has earned the tag of being ‘the most difficult bowler to face’ from Virat Kohli himself and now Pakistan fast bowler Rumman Raaes has expressed his desires of getting the better of the Indian captain when they face-off in near future.

After getting off to stunning start in international cricket, Raaes said he is up for the challenge for the likes of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Steve Smith and is confident of getting them out.

“I’m not here to issue a challenge but I hope to get the better of Kohli, Smith and AB de Villiers whenever I get a chance to bowl to them. It would be a great feeling,” said Raees, who has taken 14 wickets in his 9 ODIs for Pakistan.

Not many bowlers in world cricket can boast off winning the duel with Virat Kohli. Apart from a disastrous tour of England in 2014, where James Anderson got his number, getting him out five times in the four-match Test series, Kohli has largely dominated most bowlers in world cricket.

However, when it comes to facing left-armers, particularly from neighboring Pakistan, Kohli has had his fare share of troubles. Apart from Amir, who got him out in cheaply in the Champions Trophy final in England, Junaid Khan has dismissed him three times in six ODIs.

Raees, who is still in his early days in international cricket, enjoys the upper hand over New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. Williamson, de Villiers, Kohli and Smith are regarded as the best four batsmen in world cricket across format.

“I still haven’t bowled to Steve Smith, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. But I have bowled to Kane Williamson. It’s very difficult to get him out. He has a very compact technique. But I managed to get him out four times,” added Raees.

Terming Hashim Amla a modern day legend, Raees said it is difficult to dislodge the South African right-hander.

“Then you have Hashim Amla, one of the greatest of all-time. It was a good learning curve bowling to him.”