Virat Kohli is the best player that former Indian cricket player and head coach Ravi Shastri has ever taught. The ‘unreal’ innings that Kohli played in the SENA nations while he was head coach was praised by Shastri. Shastri said that he had “no regrets whatsoever” when asked if he had any regrets about his time coaching India.
A notable home dominance in the red-ball format was a defining feature of the Shastri-Kohli period. Additionally, they had put up a strong fast-bowling arsenal that included Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Jasprit Bumrah. Shastri, who was the full-time coach of the Indian cricket team from 2017 to 2021, disclosed the specific qualities of Kohli that made him a run-machine in his heyday.
One may argue that Virat Kohli best years as a hitter and leader were 2016–19.
“In my opinion, Virat Kohli was an incredible batter in his prime because, during the five years that India dominated the red-ball format, some of his innings in Australia, South Africa, and England were outstanding in all formats. Dhoni did an amazing job once I took over the task and he was done. According to Shastri, who spoke to Sky Sports, “I believe his primary skills as a batter, his ability to dominate, be in the face, play hard but fair, and his desire to win and take the game forward were exceptional.”
The Indian team, headed by Shastri, came very near on several occasions but was unable to win any ICC trophies despite having a strong squad. The Men in Blue finished second in the 2019–21 World Test Championship cycle after losing to New Zealand by eight wickets and making it to the Cricket World Cup semi-finals in 2019 (lost by 18 runs). In 2017, they also lost to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy finals.
Between 2016 and 2019, Virat Kohli amassed 10,603 runs in 164 international games, or 186 innings. The New Delhi native’s batting average in international cricket during this time stayed at an incredible 71.16 across all formats.