3 batsmen who could match the Fab Four of Kohli-Root-Williamson-Smith in the future

The top 4 batsmen of this generation - Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Steven Smith - are collectively called the 'Fab Four'. These four players have been absolutely sensational for their national teams in the last few years, across all formats.

All four of them are fairly young and have many more years of cricket left in them. They have already broken a number of records, and will break a lot more. Interestingly, these four batsmen are the top batsmen currently in the ICC Test Rankings.

A majority of these players have a classical approach to their batting and have scored runs across different conditions. Three out of the four lead their national teams in the Test format. Now with Smith banned for one year he might fall behind in the race, but make no mistake he is one of the best Test batsmen right now if not the best.

Most of them are at roughly the same point in their career, where they have played close to 65 Test matches and are captaining their side. They all might end up playing close to 150 Tests, in the process breaking tons of records.

But there are other emerging batsmen too who can give these four a run for their money in the future. Here, we take a look at three players who have the potential to be compared with the 'Fab Four'.

3. Babar Azam

Babar Azam is currently the No.2 ODI Bastmen in the world

Babar Azam is Pakistan’s No. 3 in the shorter formats. After 25 ODI innings, he had the most runs by any Pakistani batsman at the same stage; in a short period of time, he has made a name for himself.

Pakistan’s search for a consistent No. 3 finally was completed when Azam started scoring runs consistently. The 23-year-old batsman is currently the No. 2 batsman in the ICC ODI Rankings; he is easily the most consistent batsmen for Pakistan in white-ball cricket.

After 41 ODIs he has scored 1789 runs at an average of 51.11 which is better than Root, Smith, and Williamson. He has seven 100s and seven 50s to his name.

In the T20 format, he has played 20 matches and has a staggering average of 53 at a strike rate of 127.49.

The only format which he hasn’t found his feet in is the Test format. But he has the temperament and technique to succeed there too. The more he plays, the better he is likely to get.

2. Aiden Markram

Aiden Markram has scored 1000 runs in just 10 Test Matches

Aiden Markram led the South African U-19 Team to the title in 2014. He was their leading run-scorer in that tournament. He has progressed considerably over the years and now is a crucial member of the South African Test Team.

Markram made his Test debut last year against Bangladesh in a 2 match Test series and scored tons of runs. He scored a 97 in his debut innings before getting run out, but he completed his hundred in the 2nd match.

The series in which he truly came into the limelight was the one against Australia. He was the leading run-scorer for South Africa in the 4 match Test Series which was filled with controversies. He scored two crucial hundreds against the Australian bowling attack which included Starc, Hazelwood and Cummins.

In just 10 Tests, Markram he has scored 1000 runs at an average of 55.56 with 4 hundreds to his name. Even though he hasn’t played much white-ball cricket, he is a player to watch out for in the future as his Test numbers suggest that he is here to stay.

1. KL Rahul

KL Rahul has 7 international hundreds to his name

KL Rahul is one of the best stroke-makers in the world right now. He strikes the ball with utmost easy and makes batting look incredibly easy.

Virat Kohli gave away his No. 3 position for Rahul, which speaks volumes about the talent that the youngster possesses. The 26-year-old now seems like a must for India in all three formats.

The way Rahul timed the ball in the IPL and the recently concluded T20I series was really pleasing to the eye. He is only the second Indian to score two centuries in T20Is and only the third Indian to have a century in all three formats.

Rahul made his Test debut in 2014 against Australia in Australia. In only his second match at the SCG, he scored his 1st Test hundred.

When Australia visited India last year for a 4 Test Match Series, Rahul scored six 50s in just 7 innings and was India’s second highest run-scorer.

He scored a 100 on his ODI debut against Zimbabwe and scored a T20I hundred in Florida batting at No. 4 against West Indies while chasing a target of over 240.

Rahul has a solid technique which can make him successful in all three formats, which is why he is slotted in at No. 1 on this list.