Australia's veteran speedster Mitchell Starc has revealed the one batter who consistently pushed him to his limits throughout his long and decorated career. The player is none other thatn Indian superstar Virat Kohli. At 35, Starc remains one of the most threatening fast bowlers globally, continuing to deliver match-winning spells, including his career-best performance in the opening Test of the ongoing Ashes 2025-26. Despite having bowled to numerous modern-day greats like Rohit Sharma, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root over the past decade, Starc confirms that none match the intensity of the challenge presented by Kohli.
Virat Kohli is the No. 1 batter I’ve played against: Mitchell Starc
The rivalry between Kohli and Starc is one of the most enthralling in modern cricket, characterised by intense, ball-for-ball battles across India vs. Australia clashes in all formats. The Australian star noted that at every stage of their careers, Kohli managed to push him harder than any other player. Their relationship has an interesting dimension as both players shared the RCB dressing room in the IPL early in their careers, which allowed Starc, who recently took a match-winning 10-wicket haul in Australia's winning cause against England in Ashes 2025-2026 opener, to observe the Indian batting icon closely.
Even considering his time bowling to other legends like AB de Villiers (who was also an RCB teammate) and his own teammate Steve Smith, Kohli still stands out in Starc's memory. The Australian fast bowler candidly admits that, even when he himself was in peak form, Virat Kohli has been the single batter who demanded the absolute maximum from him.
“Virat Kohli is the No. 1 batter I’ve played against. The way he dominates the game, it was amazing to have that relationship with him during RCB,” Mitchell Starc said on Kookaburra Cricket.
Starc was then quizzed about the best player he played with, to which he said:
“Kohli, Steve Smith, and AB de Villiers.”
Mitchell Starc vs Virat Kohli's rivalry
The rivalry between Starc and Kohli is celebrated as one of cricket’s most exciting matchups, defined by a compelling clash of elite batting and bowling skill. In the Test arena, their head-to-head record has been relatively even: Kohli faced 477 deliveries from Starc, scoring 278 runs at a solid average of 46.3, while the Australian speedster managed to dismiss the Indian batter six times. In the ODI format, however, Kohli has demonstrated remarkable superiority, scoring 162 runs against Starc at an impressive average of 81. Kohli’s dominance is even clearer in the shortest format of the game. In T20 Internationals, the Indian superstar has remained completely unbeaten against Starc, scoring 15 runs without losing his wicket. Extending that record across nine overall T20 matches, Kohli has scored 91 runs against Starc without being dismissed even once. For his part, Starc remains a formidable presence in T20 cricket overall, boasting an impressive record of 36 wickets in 26 matches, achieved at a strong average of 20.38 and an economy rate of 7.17.