"Best Player and Most Influential Cricketer of the Last Decade"—Ravi "Shastri Showers Praise on Virat Kohli

Ravi Shastri, one of Indian cricket’s most loved commentators, has once again praised Virat Kohli. He called him the most influential player of the last decade.

In a recent video posted on Stick to Cricket, the former India head coach was asked to name the best player of the modern era. Without any delay, Shastri said, "It's a young group at the moment, but the best player, the most influential player of the last decade – Virat Kohli."

Shastri, who coached India during some of Kohli’s most successful years as Test captain, has always been a big admirer of the former captain. His latest praise adds to many good things he has said about Kohli in recent years.

In a quick question-and-answer segment, Shastri was also asked to name the current bowler he would least like to face. His answer was Jasprit Bumrah. He also gave a fun reply to a question about whether he would prefer hitting six sixes or winning a World Cup. He reminded everyone that he had done both in his career, but said the World Cup win was more special.

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Shastri Picks His Top Five Most Influential Indian Cricketers

Earlier, Shastri was speaking on the Stick to Cricket podcast, hosted by former England cricketers Phil Tuffnell, Alastair Cook, David Lloyd, and Michael Vaughan.

On the podcast, Shastri named Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli in his list of top five Indian players. Indian spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi and current pace star Jasprit Bumrah were not included.

He said, "Definitely (Sunil) Gavaskar, Kapil (Dev), Sachin (Tendulkar), and Virat (Kohli) — I am looking at the most influential players of that era. Bishan (Singh Bedi) would have been there, but MS (Dhoni) again. MS will come in. And Bumrah is still here. Bumrah is young and still has cricket left. I am talking about players who have almost finished their careers, so these will be the five."

Virat Kohli: India's All-Format Legend

Talking about Virat, he is the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket with 27,599 runs, 82 centuries, and an average of 52.27. He is India’s top all-format player. In ODIs, he has 14,181 runs with 51 centuries — the most by any batter. In Tests, he scored 9,230 runs and led India to 40 wins in 68 matches. In T20Is, he is the third-highest run-getter with 4,188 runs.

Virat has won the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2013 and 2025 Champions Trophy, and the 2024 T20 World Cup. He also led India to three WTC maces and is known for shining in big matches.