Dubai: Ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy final, former coach Ravi Shastri provided an in-depth analysis of India star Virat Kohli as an ODI batter and said the right handers discipline, awareness of match situations are what sets him apart.
Kohli’s career in ODIs has been nothing short of spectacular , scoring 14,180 runs at an average of 58.11, with a record 51 centuries, firmly establishing his dominance in the format.
The 36-year-old showcased flashes of his prime in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025, when he first delivered a century against arch-rivals Pakistan before playing yet another masterful knock in the chase against Australia in the semifinal.
In the latest episode of The ICC Review, Shastri, who worked closely with Kohli in a coach-captain combination, shed light on what makes him the undisputed king of the 50-over format.
“His discipline, his awareness of match situations (are what sets him apart). I thought he tried to get ahead of himself in the last three or four years, where he was trying to outdo what he’s good at and sometimes, it can catch up on you,” Shastri said.
“But he’s back to what he does best, which is take the singles, hit the ball along the ground, if necessary, go for the big one. Some of the greatest players who played the one-day game, especially in the chase, are guys who can do that.
“When you pick up singles with ease, there’s no pressure. And then when you have another guy at the other end, someone like Shreyas (Iyer) who comes and smacks it, it takes the pressure off, it becomes still easier,” he said.
Shastri recalled an instance from India’s 2018 tour of South Africa in Cape Town, where Kohli was dismissed early in each innings, but stayed back for an extra hour post-play to fine-tune his game. In the next Test in Centurion, he responded with a commanding 150.
The former coach also commended Kohli’s energy, always giving it his all on the field and making sure he’s in the game.
“You know people (like to) watch sport when they watch a sportsman with energy. Whether his name is (Cristiano) Ronaldo or it’s (Lionel) Messi or whether it’s a (Novak) Djokovic or whether it’s (Rafael) Nadal, that energy that they bring in – there’s a certain kind of charisma and it rubs off on other people. They want to watch this guy play,” Shastri added.
“It just goes to show the amount of sacrifice an individual makes. I saw that with Tendulkar, loved his food, loves to do things that the other boys wanted to do, but said no,” he concluded.
In the ongoing Champions Trophy, Kohli is India’s highest run-scorer with 217 runs in four matches, at a strike rate of 83.14. He will look to become a two-time Champions Trophy winner on Sunday when India take on New Zealand in the final in Dubai.
A victory would add to his illustrious collection, which also includes the 2011 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, the 2013 Champions Trophy and the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
–IANS
