How ​Kane W​illiamson ​compares with Kohli​, Smith, Rahane, Root and Warner

Kane Williamson has slowly emerged as one of the best batsmen around. At 24, he already has 10 Test hundreds to his credit, scoring a hundred one every four Test. He has 24 fifty-plus scores in 72 innings which means he has a ratio of 1:3. His ratio is even better than the likes of Glenn Turner, Martin Crowe and Ross Taylor. Williamson also has seven One-Day International (ODIs) hundreds, which underlines his stature and potential to emerge as an all-time great in the years ahead.

His 118 from 113 on Sunday helped the Kiwis go 2-1 up in the ODI series against England. A batsman in the classical mould, he will not hit those Chris Gayle-like 100 meters plus sixes but will continue scoring runs at a brisk strike-rate. He has the ability to shift gears at will but even at the top gear, there’s no compromise with stroke-play. When he is in first gear, he is absolutely rock solid.

He has also played other knocks of utmost significance. Rewind to the match against arch-rivals Australia at Auckland in the World Cup 2015. Chasing 152, New Zealand slumped to 146 for nine after being 78 for one. While Mitchell Starc was breathing fire with the ball and wickets kept tumbling at one end, Williamson held fort at the other and at the same time ensured the runs came brisk. With six runs needed to win and Trent Boult at the other end, Williamson showed nerves of steel when he smacked Pat Cummins for six to ensure a one-wicket win for his team.

Williamson is another exciting batsman in his 20s, who is set to rule the batting charts in the coming years along with the likes of Virat Kohli, Rahane, Steve Smith, Joe Root and David Warner.

Let’s look at how Williamson stands in comparison to these other contemporary batting geniuses.

(Designed by Srushti Takale)