Virat Kohli’s Peak Years Were Extraordinary, Says Former Coach Ravi Shastri

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August 14, 2025 0 391

Ravi Shastri stated that Virat Kohli’s performances in Australia, England, and South Africa during his peak were extraordinary.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri hailed Virat Kohli as the finest player he worked with during his tenure from 2017 to 2021. He highlighted Kohli’s exceptional performances in Australia, South Africa, and England, particularly between 2016 and 2019, a period regarded as the batter’s peak

Under their partnership, India dominated at home in Tests and built a strong pace attack featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav. Shastri praised Kohli’s aggressive yet fair approach, strong desire to win and ability to lead from the front. He also noted that Kohli’s skill to perform consistently under pressure played a key role in India’s rise to the No.1 Test ranking.

“I would say Kohli, the batter 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, were unreal. Once I took over the job, and once Dhoni had finished, he did a magnificent job. I think his primary skills as a batter, his ability to dominate, be in the face, play hard & but play fair, and his desire to win and take the game forward were exceptional,” Shastri said via Sky Sports.

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Between 2016 and 2019, Virat Kohli amassed 10,603 runs in 164 international matches, averaging an extraordinary 71.16 across formats.

Meanwhile, in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, India impressed despite the absence of Rohit Sharma and Kohli. Gill’s calm temperament, stroke play, and ability to build long innings have drawn admiration from Ravi Shastri.

“He’s right up there. He’ll be up there. He’s composed. He’s very regal. He’s got that, you know, when you look at him, he’s something regal about him. The way he bats, he’s very easy on the eye, very fluent and has the ability to play the long innings,” Shastri added.