Most Influential Cricketer of the Decade: Shastri on Kohli’s Legacy

Tags: India,
Virat Kohli,
Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri

Published on: May 14, 2025

Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket has evoked an emotional outpouring from the cricketing fraternity, with tributes pouring in from legends and contemporaries alike. Among the most heartfelt was former India coach and long-time mentor Ravi Shastri, who hailed Kohli as the “most influential cricketer of the last decade” and a “modern-day giant.”

Speaking to Cricbuzz on Monday, just hours after Kohli’s retirement announcement, Shastri reflected on their remarkable journey together. “He belonged to a different class of cricketers,” said Shastri. “He has been the most influential cricketer of the last decade — not just in India, but across the cricketing world.”

Shastri and Kohli’s partnership is widely considered one of the most successful coach-captain alliances in Indian cricket history. Their association began in 2014 when Kohli took over the Test captaincy mid-series in Australia, and it continued through two distinct phases — from 2014 to 2016, and then from 2017 until Shastri’s departure in 2021.

“There are many unforgettable memories — some immensely personal. He played a brand of cricket associated with no other Indian captain. As I wrote in my post, he is truly a modern-day giant,” Shastri added.

Under their combined leadership, Indian cricket scaled unprecedented heights. India won back-to-back Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia — in 2018–19 and again in 2020–21, the latter without Kohli for most of the series. India remained the No. 1 ranked Test team for six consecutive years (2016–2021), a feat that speaks volumes about the consistency and dominance of Kohli’s leadership.

One of their major ODI highlights came in 2018 when India clinched a historic 5-1 series win in South Africa — their first bilateral ODI series win in the country, breaking a long-standing jinx.

Kohli and Shastri also guided India to the semi-finals of the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, where India topped the league stage with a dominant performance. Though the campaign ended in heartbreak, it was a testament to the strength and vision of their leadership.

Shastri, known to be more than just a coach — often referred to as Kohli’s friend, philosopher, and guide — took to social media earlier with an emotional post:

“Can’t believe you are done. You are a modern-day GIANT and were a fantastic ambassador for Test match cricket in every way you played and captained. Thank you for the lasting memories you’ve given to everyone, and to me in particular. It’s something I will cherish for life. Go well, champ. God bless.”

Their final campaign together was the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021 — a tournament that also marked the end of Kohli’s tenure as India’s limited-overs captain.

In a fitting tribute, Shastri summed it up poignantly: “He’s one who belongs to all classes of great cricketers. Period.”