Shastri on Kohli’s Legacy: The Decade’s Most Influential Cricketer

Tags: India, Virat Kohli, Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri

Published on: May 14, 2025

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So, Virat Kohli, right? Just upped and said bye-bye to Test cricket. It’s got folks all weepy and sentimental. Seriously, the cricket world is losing its mind. Ravi Shastri, you know, the guy who’s been guiding Virat, came out and said Kohli is like, “the most influential cricketer of the last decade.” Imagine that. And a “modern-day giant”? Big words, but not undeserved.

Caught an interview on Cricbuzz—yeah, that cricket site. Shastri was right there, talking just hours after Kohli’s big reveal. Said he and Kohli? Different class altogether. Like they were playing chess while others were playing checkers or something.

Their story starts back in 2014, right? Kohli took over as Test captain in the middle of a series in Australia. From 2014 through 2021, they had two phases. Whatever a phase means in cricket. Steady climb, though. Yeah, so many memories—Shastri gets all nostalgic, mentions that Kohli played cricket like no other Indian captain. Whatever that means.

There’s an image too (somewhere in the piece, but can’t paste it here), showing Kohli in his element. I remember it was during their leadership that India topped Australia TWICE in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 2018–19 and then again in 2020–21. No Kohli for most of that one, but still. India just owning that No. 1 spot for SIX years? Insane.

And, guess what? India snagged their first ODI series win in South Africa in 2018. Finally broke a curse or something.

But, not just that. 2019 World Cup was a thing too. Made it to the semis. Indian team was top notch in the league stage. Didn’t win it, but wow, what a ride. Kohli and Shastri’s moves, you know?

Shastri isn’t just any coach. More like a buddy, philosopher, mentor mix. Dropped some feelings on social media. Said Kohli was a “modern-day GIANT.” Caps lock! Added all those good vibes and thanked him for the memories.

Last hurrah for them was the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021. UAE. Kohli’s exit from limited overs captaincy too. Shastri summed it all: “He’s one who belongs to all classes of great cricketers. Period.” Goosebumps?

Anyway, that’s that. Kohli’s done with Test cricket. But those memories? They’re here to linger.