After 11 years, Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson face off again

Eleven years later, the two men will lead their respective nations with a lot more at stake

Manchester: When Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson walk out for the toss for their World Cup semi-final clash at Old Trafford here today, it is likely to remind them of the 2008 U-19 World Cup semi-final between India and New Zealand in Malaysia which both players were part of. India won that match by three wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis method to enter the final and Kohli was named the Player of the Match.

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Eleven years later, the two men will lead their respective nations with a lot more at stake.

Williamson felt it was "cool" that both players are together again, leading their countries on a different platform. Both players have immense mutual admiration for each other.

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When Kohli was asked if he had envisaged then that Williamson would become the superstar batsman that he is today, he replied: "Yeah, absolutely! And not 2008, I remember in 2007, we went to New Zealand and were playing an U-19 Test match and he played a shot off the back foot to one of our fast bowlers, who was really quick, and I remember standing in the slips and telling a teammate that I had never seen anyone play a shot like that. He was special, along with a couple of other guys, who surprisingly didn't make it." For Williamson too, Kohli was a standout performer even in his youth. "He was a formidable player. Growing up, it seems odd to say this because we were at the same age playing against each other on a number of occasions. So, it's obviously been a pleasure watching Virat play and evolve into the superstar that he is," said Williamson.

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