Who Did Ravi Shastri Saw As Natural Leader Post MS Dhonis Captaincy Transition?
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has named legendary batter Virat Kohli as the finest player he had the privilege of coaching during his tenure with Team India. Praising Kohli for his unmatched drive and consistency, Shastri lauded his ability to “dominate, be the face, play hard, but play fair.”
In a video shared on Sky Sports’ YouTube channel, Shastri recalled his successful partnership with Kohli, who captained India from 2017 to 2021 under his stewardship. The former all-rounder expressed admiration for some of the “unreal” innings Kohli played in challenging conditions across Australia, South Africa, and England.
“I would say Kohli, the batsman in his pomp, was unbelievable because in those five years when India were No. 1 in the red-ball format. Some of the innings he played in Australia, South Africa, England, across formats was unreal,” said Shastri.
Shastri revealed that after MS Dhoni’s retirement from Test cricket, Kohli was the player he saw as the natural “leader” of the team.
“Once I took over the job, and once Dhoni had finished, he did a magnificent job. I think his first skills as a batsman, his ability to dominate, be in the face, play hard but play fair, and wanting to win and take the game forward,” he added.
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No Regrets, But One Missed Opportunity
Reflecting on his tenure, Shastri insisted he has “no regrets whatsoever”, but admitted to one disappointment.
“We should have won an ICC trophy. In that time, we had the team to do it, but we still played some great cricket,” he concluded.
Under the Kohli–Shastri era, India reached the semifinals of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup and finished as runners-up in the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (2019–21), losing to New Zealand in the final.
Kohli’s Peak Years: 2016–2019
From 2016 to 2019, Kohli was virtually unstoppable. Across formats, he amassed 10,603 runs in just 164 matches and 186 innings at an astonishing average of 71.16, including 36 centuries and 46 fifties, with a best score of 254*.
As a Test batter in the same period, Kohli scored 4,208 runs in 43 matches at a superb average of 66.79 and a strike rate of 61.88, registering 16 centuries and 10 fifties. His hundreds came in all parts of the world, with several masterclass knocks in SENA nations, South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia particularly in high-pressure chases. During this time, India’s Test team transformed into one of the most formidable units globally, built around a formidable pace attack featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav.
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