Cricket

Ravi Shastri reveals what makes Virat Kohli successful in ODIs

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes Virat Kohli’s ability to bat risk-free and rotate the strike in the middle overs makes him an ODI great. Kohli has consistently performed in the 50-over version, and his record while chasing speaks for itself.

The talisman scored an unbeaten knock of 100 runs off 111 balls in the high-octane clash against Pakistan in the group stage of the Champions Trophy. The veteran batter also scored a match-winning knock of 84 runs off 98 balls in the semifinal game against Australia.

Before the final, Kohli has scored 217 runs in four matches of the Champions Trophy 2025 at an average of 72.33 and a strike rate of 83.14.

Shastri reckons Kohli was trying too hard to outdo himself in the last two-three years but he is back to his best.

Ravi Shastri said on ICC Review, “His discipline, his awareness of match situations. 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. 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.”

Shastri, who shares a great bonhomie with Kohli, compared the batter with legendary players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Novak Djokovic, and Rafael Nadal.

Shastri added, “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. It just goes to show the amount of sacrifice an individual makes. I saw that with Tendulkar, loved his food, loved to do things that the other boys wanted to do, but said no.”

Kohli is going to hold the key in the all-important final against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy.

About the Author


Written by DafaNews

DafaNews brings you the most highlighted news in the world of Sports. It serves you up-to-date matches, scores, live streams, fantasy games and quizzes. Our news covers India's prestigious leagues and events – Premier League, Pro Kabbadi League, Cricket World Cup and many more. Follow DafaNews on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter,Telegram and Youtube for more updates.

Related Post
Share
Published by
DafaNews

Recent Posts

Mavericks pick Cooper Flagg at No. 1 in 2025 NBA draft

Dallas Mavericks have bagged the services of forward Cooper Flagg with the first pick of… Read More

June 27, 2025

Nick Kyrgios predicts Carlos Alcaraz to have better career than Jannik Sinner

Nick Kyrgios has predicted that Carlos Alcaraz will have a better career than Jannik Sinner.… Read More

June 27, 2025

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City played like a good team after a long time

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola noted that his side played like a good team after… Read More

June 27, 2025

Aakash Chopra opens up on Jofra Archer’s return, says fast bowler can be a game-changer ahead of 2nd Test against India

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has noted that while Jofra Archer has been added… Read More

June 27, 2025

Michael Vaughan lauds Rishabh Pant, says there is a lot of science in his madness

Former England captain Michael Vaughan showered praise on Rishabh Pant after the opening Test match… Read More

June 27, 2025

Ajinkya Rahane picks India’s two best hundreds from ENG vs IND 2025 1st Test

Indian batter Ajinkya Rahane picked KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant’s centuries in the second innings… Read More

June 27, 2025