Virat Kohli Shares Untold Story of His First Meeting with Ravi Shastri
Virat Kohli had one of his toughest phases during the England tour in 2014. When he struggled to score runs, he met Ravi Shastri, who joined the Indian team at that time. Shastri had a talk with Kohli during the tour, when he told what he expects from the Indian star that shaped him as a skipper.
The Golden period of the Indian team in the Test format came when Virat Kohli was the captain and Ravi Shastri was the Head Coach. But recently, Virat Kohli recalled his first ever meeting with Ravi Shastri in a recent interview, telling the fans how he was motivated. And the best part, this meet happened during the England tour in 2014.
Virat Kohli did not have a good time in this tour, as he struggled to score runs for the team. Even though he was an integral part of the Test line-up, he struggled to score runs on the English pitches. At the same time, Ravi Shastri joined the Indian team for the very first time in that same tour.
Kohli recalled their first meeting, as he said, “Ravi Bhai came in the Indian team in 2014, I knew him before that we met a few times here and there. I was down after that horrible england series and he first started talking to catch my attention. I literally shook because I've never heard that intensity of voice before. He told me about what he wanted from me to get better and gave me ideas to do, it wasn't just giving random tips. He meant what he wanted. One outstanding thing about him is that he'd tell you on face what he wants you to do, what he expects from you to get better and in the media he'll back you to the hilts.”
Our Take
Who thought that the moment they spent together in the England tour in 2014 could help them shape a golden period in Tests for the Indian team. Virat Kohli finished his captaincy stint as the greatest Test captain for the Indian team, having the most number of wins in the longest format as a captain.