Ravi Shastri Praises Virat Kohli as His Top Player During Tenure
Shastri's High Praise for Kohli
London [UK], August 14: Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has named Virat Kohli as the standout player he coached for the national team, commending his ability to "dominate, be the face, play hard, but play fair."
Shastri, who shared a strong rapport with Kohli during their captain-coach partnership from 2017 to 2021, expressed his admiration in a video on a popular sports channel's YouTube platform. He highlighted some of the "unreal" innings Kohli played in countries like Australia, South Africa, and England.
"Kohli, at his peak, was phenomenal. During the five years when India held the No. 1 spot in Test cricket, the innings he played across formats in Australia, South Africa, and England were extraordinary," Shastri remarked.
He noted that Kohli emerged as the team's leader following MS Dhoni's retirement. "After taking over, once Dhoni had stepped down, Kohli did an exceptional job. His skills as a batsman, his dominance, and his fair play were crucial in pushing the team forward," he added.
Reflecting on his coaching tenure, Shastri mentioned he has "no regrets whatsoever," although he felt the team was "a little unlucky."
"We should have clinched an ICC trophy during that period. We had the talent, but we still played some remarkable cricket," he concluded.
Under the leadership of Kohli and Shastri, India reached the semifinals of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and finished as runners-up in the ICC World Test Championship 2019-21, narrowly losing to New Zealand in the final.
During his prime years from 2016 to 2019, Kohli amassed 10,603 runs in just 164 matches and 186 innings, boasting an impressive average of 71.16, including 36 centuries and 46 fifties, with a top score of 254*.
Under his captaincy, India evolved into a formidable Test side, featuring a talented group of fast bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav. As a Test batsman from 2016 to 2019, Kohli scored 4,208 runs in 43 Tests at an average of 66.79, with a strike rate of 61.88, including 16 centuries and 10 fifties, with a best score of 254*.
During these dominant years, his ability to deliver exceptional performances, particularly in chases in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia (SENA), established him as one of India's most reliable batsmen.
However, in the 2020s, while his white-ball performance remained strong, his Test form declined, leading him to retire from Test cricket this May before the England tour, with an average just above 30 and only three Test centuries since the start of 2020.