Virat Kohli was praised by Ravi Shastri, who referred to him as the most significant cricket player of the previous ten years. Kohli was praised as a modern-day great by the former India captain, coach, and prominent commentator in Indian cricket.
Hours after Kohli declared his retirement from Test cricket, Shastri told Cricbuzz on Monday, May 12, “He belonged to a different class of cricketers – He has been the most influential cricketer of the last decade.”
Shastri was regarded as Kohli’s guru, friend, and philosopher.
“I have a lot of special recollections, some of which are really intimate. He was a captain and played a style of cricket that no other Indian played. He is a true modern-day titan, as I stated in my social media post (on X, formerly Twitter),” Shastri added.
After the latter took charge of the Indian side during a Test series in Australia in 2014, Shastri and Kohli’s partnership was one of the best coach-captain combinations in Indian cricket. Prior to Shastri’s departure from the squad in 2021, it was one of the most prosperous professional associations. “He is a member of every class of outstanding cricket players. “Period,” he concluded.
They were associated for two years, from 2014 to 2016 and then from July 2017 to 2021. One of the highlights of their relationship was getting to the 2019 World Cup semifinals, where the squad had won the league stage. They won the BGT series back-to-back twice in Australia: in 2018–19 (the first time an Asian team won a Test series in Australia) and again in 2020–21 (after Kohli left early).
Additionally, India held the top spot in Test matches for three years in a row in 2017, 18, and 19. Another notable event was India’s 5-1 victory in the ODI series in South Africa, which was their first bilateral series victory there following four previous unsuccessful attempts.
He had previously commented on his social media account, saying, “It’s unbelievable that you’re finished. In every aspect you played and captained, you were an outstanding representative of Test match cricket and a modern-day GIANT. I am especially grateful for the enduring memories you have bestowed upon me and everyone else. It is something I will always treasure. Well done, champion. May God bless you.
In 2021, Shastri last served as India’s coach during the Twenty20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Additionally, it was Kohli’s final series as captain of the limited-overs team.
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