Virat Kohli isn’t a guy to mess around: Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri, the head coach of the Indian cricket team, prefers to give national skipper Virat Kohli the space to get things going. Kohli took over as the Test skipper at the fag end of 2014 after MS Dhoni’s sudden retirement during the tour of Australia. Then in January 2016, he became the ODI and T20I skipper, and he has helped the Men in Blue scale greater heights.

Shastri reckons that his job is to assist the players in staying motivated for decent performances on the field. The 57-year-old is of the perception that the skipper, Kohli, is the boss and leads from the front, setting the right precedents for the others. The veteran mentioned that Kohli is at the helm when its about setting the tone on the field of play.

The captain leads from the front: Ravi Shastri

“The captain is the boss, I always believe that. The job of the coaching staff, as far as I’m concerned, is to prepare the guys in the best possible way to be able to go out there and play brave, positive, fearless cricket,” Shastri was quoted as saying in the Sky Sports Podcast.

“The captain leads from the front. Yes, we are there to take off the burden but you leave him to do his job in the middle. The captain sets the tone and is encouraged to set the tone. In the middle, he controls the show,” he stated.

In the first few years of his career, the Delhi-born Virat used to be brash and outlandish, sometimes careless as well. However, as his career progressed, he became more disciplined. Fitness and looks became his top-priorities and focussing on the same has paid rich dividends.

Shastri said that Kohli isn’t someone to mess around for long. “When you talk about fitness, the leadership came from the top and that is Virat. He is not a guy to mess around,” Shastri, also a former Indian cricketer, added.

Kohli has been one India’s most successful skippers, having flourished in all three formats of the sport. The 31-year-old has also been an absolute run-machine, having taken down quite a significant number of records. Even going forward, he is speculated to create severe headache for opponents.