Virat Kohli is the most powerful player in Indian cricket, believes Jonty Rhodes

Jonty Rhodes has been an ambassador of the game since the time he was a prominent player for the South African cricket team. After his retirement from the game in 2003, Rhodes has taken several coaching roles in international and domestic teams.

The 50-year old had recently applied for the job of fielding coach of the Indian national team but wasn’t preferred for the role. The main reason behind that was the fact that the fielding coach had to deal with several junior cricketers all the time and a cultural difference could lead to miscommunication.

Rhodes, though, has always been in praise of the Indian cricket team and the country’s rich culture. Recently, in an interview, the former Protea talked about Virat Kohli and his influence on the Indian team.

“I feel the most powerful player in the Indian cricket team is Virat Kohli. He has been consistent with his performance and is an overall package,” said Rhodes as quoted by

Rhodes has previously praised the Indian captain at several platforms for his success as a skipper and as a batsman. The South African further said that Jasprit Bumrah and Suresh Raina are two other Indian players who he enjoys to watch. Rhodes said– “I also really appreciate the performance of Jasprit Bumrah and Suresh Raina. The entire Indian cricket team has a lot of potential in it.”

‘I spend 150 days a year in India’: Jonty Rhodes

Though Suresh Raina hasn’t featured for the Indian side since mid-2018, his contributions can not be forgotten. The stylish left-handed batsman has played 226 ODI matches and 78 T20Is for India. He scored over 5,500 runs in ODIs and more than 1,500 runs in T20Is.

More than anything, Raina was the mainstay of the Indian middle-order, which has struggled to find some stability since his departure. Additionally, he is an extremely good fielder and has been phenomenal in that department over the years.

During the interview, Rhodes also revealed how much time he spends in India. “I was so overwhelmed that I named my daughter India and spend 150 days a year. Just come with an open mind and embrace what you see”, Rhodes reveals his true interest of travelling across India. He also said that he wants to explore the entire country and he believes India’s history is very rich and diverse.