'Virat Kohli was the one man I identified who will lead the team': Ravi Shastri's sensational revelation

Batting maestro Virat Kohli's tenure as India's Test captain, spanning from December 2014 to January 2022, was a historic period for Indian cricket. He led the team in 68 matches, securing 40 victories with an impressive win percentage of 58.82 per cent. This makes him the most successful Test captain in the nation's history. A key highlight of his leadership was guiding India to their first-ever Test series victories on Australian soil during the 2018-19 and 2020-21 tours. Under his command, the team also achieved a record 16 overseas Test wins, surpassing all previous Indian captains.

Virat Kohli was the one man I identified who will lead the team: Ravi Shastri

Kohli's captaincy was defined by an aggressive and uncompromising approach, a strong emphasis on fitness, and a relentless drive for victory, whether playing at home or abroad. During this time, his personal performance with the bat was exceptional. As captain, he scored over 5,700 Test runs at an average of more than 55, including a record seven double centuries. This dominance extended to ODIs and T20Is, where the team consistently maintained high win rates.

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A significant part of this era was the partnership between Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri. Shastri is often credited with fostering a fearless and aggressive brand of cricket that complemented Kohli's leadership style. He saw Kohli as a transformative leader and worked to harness his natural abilities, instilling a competitive mindset throughout the squad. Together, they oversaw a period of immense success, including a dominant run in home Tests and major breakthroughs overseas, most notably the historic series win in Australia. In a recent statement, Shastri praised Kohli, revealing that he had identified him as a future leader early on in his career.

"It was great. He was the one man I identified who will lead the team. And I wanted him to do it. Once I took over the job and MS Dhoni had finished, and he did a magnificent job," Shastri said while speaking with Sky Sports.

In a recent statement, former India head coach Ravi Shastri praised Virat Kohli, revealing that he had identified him as a leader early in his career. Shastri also lauded Kohli's exceptional batting skills, crediting the former captain for delivering some top-notch performances during his prime.

"I think, first his skills as a batsman, his ability to dominate and be in the face, play hard but play fair, wanting to win and take the game forward. Kohli as a batsman in his pomp, was unbelievable. Because in those five years, India were no. 1 in red ball format, and some of the innings he played in Australia, England and South Africa across formats were unbelievable," he concluded.

Having previously calling it quits in the T20Is, Kohli recently announced his Test retirement right before the England tour. The batting juggernaut's appearance on the field is now only limited to the ODIs. Kohli will next be seen in action in the ODI series against Australia and South Africa in October and November respectively.