India’s head coach Ravi Shastri lavished praise on the captain, Virat Kohli. Shastri believes that there is no cricketer in the world who comes close to Kohli. The Indian skipper is the most consistent batsman in the world and he has an impeccable record in all the three forms of the game. Shastri added Kohli has set a high benchmark and he is not chasing anyone but himself.
Ravi Shastri went on to add that Kohli is not only a perfect statesman for the game but also he is a great ambassador for it. Kohli has been a big player in the last decade and his impact on the game has been massive. The Indian captain has ticked the right boxes while batting as well as leading the team.
Kohli is the best in the business.
“There’s no cricketer in the world who comes close to him when you put the three together (Virat Kohli as a batsman, captain, and ambassador). He is the ultimate statesman at the moment. He is a great ambassador for the sport.
Shastri added that Kohli is the favorite of all the kids at the moment. The Indian head coach stated he would like to see Kohli in action if he was a little boy. Kohli is a complete package and the hunger he has to do better in the game is insatiable.
“When you go and ask the kids around the world who would they like to watch, the majority of them will say Virat Kohli. If I were a kid, I would want to watch him. He plays within the rules, he plays it hard and tough. He is in your face. He is the quintessential professional when it comes to work ethics. He is a role model for every young kid – not to mention the players who play with him,” Shastri told India Today Consulting Editor Sports Boria Majumdar.
Kohli has set a benchmark for all of the other players and Shastri added that he is not chasing anyone. The talisman is often compared with former legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli has done a great job for the Indian team and he is made for great things.
“He will carry on. He will only get better and better. He is not chasing anybody, he is chasing himself. He is the benchmark. He sets the benchmark. It happened with Tendulkar. When Sachin used to play, I used to tell him, ‘you’re the only guy who has got more hundreds that your age’. Not easy!
“Same with Virat. He is only chasing himself. He doesn’t want to emulate anyone. ‘Be Virat Kohli’. That’s what we will tell him. We should all enjoy this period with him at the helm,” concluded Shastri.
India will play the first ODI at the MA Chidambaran stadium in Chennai on 15th December.