Former India coach Ravi Shastri has hailed Virat Kohli’s tenure as Test captain, calling his batting during India’s five-year reign at the top of the ICC Test rankings “unbelievable.” Shastri, who worked closely with Kohli from 2017 to 2021, credited the former skipper for leading from the front and delivering remarkable performances across challenging overseas conditions.
Praise for Kohli’s Leadership and Batting
“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, and England across formats were unreal,” Shastri told Sky Sports.
He revealed that he identified Kohli early as the man to succeed MS Dhoni. “Once Dhoni had finished, he did a magnificent job. His ability to dominate, play hard but fair, and take the game forward was exceptional,” Shastri added.
Stellar Record as Skipper
Kohli captained India from 2014 to 2022, securing 40 wins in 68 Tests — the most by any Indian captain. Under his leadership, India claimed their first away Border-Gavaskar Trophy win in 2018–19 and maintained a flawless home record, winning all 11 series he led. With the bat, Kohli averaged 54.80 as captain, scoring 5,864 runs, including a career-best unbeaten 254 against South Africa in 2019.
Missed ICC Silverware
While acknowledging India’s dominance in Test cricket, Shastri admitted there were missed opportunities in ICC events. “If anything, you could say we were a little unlucky. We should’ve won an ICC trophy. We had the team to do it, but we still played some great cricket,” he said.
Backing the Next Generation
Reflecting on India’s recent 2-2 draw in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy under Shubman Gill’s leadership, Shastri praised the 25-year-old’s temperament and stroke play. “No question, Shubman Gill will be around for a long time. He’s composed, very fluent, and has the ability to play the long innings,” he said.
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