Former Indian coach and one of the most successful players in the longest format of the game, Ravi Shastri, was a part of the Indian team during most of Virat Kohli’s career as Indian captain. He opened up on Kohli’s antics and revealed that he sometimes had to calm down the player and stop him from attacking his players.
Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is making his much-awaited comeback to the Indian team as he has been selected for the upcoming Australia tour. The player, who was once known for his aggression and attitude, has now transformed into a calm and composed cricketer.
However, such a long career spanning decades and maturity at 36 years has made Kohli what he is today. However, at first, he was the most adventurous and arrogant young player on the field for the Men in Blue.
Former coach reveals Virat Kohli’s ‘fitness first’ approach with a new twist
Even today, when clips of the former Indian captain from the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the subsequent series resurface on the internet, it brings back memories and showcases his ruthlessness as a captain on the field.
Former coach Ravi Shastri was the most successful coach-captain along with Virat Kohli when India reached the No. 1 Test ranking and remained unbeaten in series against teams like Australia and England. As Shastri revealed, at times he did not even spare his players.
“He will show them otherwise. Because if you are running between the wickets, and if you are a lazy bugger, you will soon know. If you are looking for the second run and if you are panting, and if he is looking for the third and you have not yet completed the second, the immediate message will be ‘Go to that bloody gym and start training, and get fit’,” Shastri said on the LeeSTNR Sports podcast.
“Ready to go out there and punch him. That’s great for you Virat,” Ravi Shastri said.
During their tenure as captain and coach of the Indian team, Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri took Indian cricket to new standards and introduced the Yo-Yo Test, which was a benchmark for the Indian team to qualify.
They defeated Australia in a Test series for the first time on Australian soil and won the ICC Test Mace for five consecutive years; However, they could not capture the ICC trophy as they missed the semi-finals as well as the final.
Shastri recalled several instances when Kohli did not hesitate to attack his own players after they made a mistake, which required his intervention.
“Sometimes, I had to calm him down. If a wicket fell, he would jump out of his seat. I would say, ‘Calm down. Let him cross at least half the way. Don’t meet him when he is just 10 yards from the stumps, you know. Come near the boundary line, then cross him.’
Virat Kohli has returned to Indian cricket, ending a gap of 232 days.
Virat Kohli last played for India in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy final. The ICC tournament was held in February–March, and since then, he has not played a game for the Men in Blue.
Despite no ODI action all these months, he remains number one. Batsman ranked 5th in ICC ODI rankings. He will be back in action with the upcoming ODI tour in Australia and end his absence of over 232 days. However, his participation in the 2027 World Cup remains uncertain.
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