The names Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Joe Root, Babar Azam, and Steve Smith are frequently mentioned when speaking of the “Fab-5” of world cricket. Kohli’s recent performance, though, hasn’t been as good as the other four.
Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri who has worked with Kohli for a long time, recently shared a startling statistic he discovered during the fifth Test against England.
Ravi Shastri on Virat Kohli
Five of the greatest batting superstars in all of cricket are Joe Root, Kane Williamson, Babar Azam, Steve Smith, and Virat Kohli. Of course, players like Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, etc. are also excellent, but the ‘Fab Five,’ as people affectionately refer to them, have demonstrated consistency that is unmatched. And as a result, there are many comparisons to be made between them.
Only Virat Kohli appears to have slipped in the standings of these elite batters. The recent form struggles of the former India captain have pushed up the statistics of his competitors. In spite of this, Kohli has maintained his position among the top batters in the world thanks to his almost unbelievable consistency over the years.
Speaking on the subject, former India coach Ravi Shastri cited a “shocking” statistic about Kohli that he learned during the fifth Test match between India and England that was postponed.
“Sometimes, it is important that when we talk about this rest and all that. Later on, you realise that when you are back in the media, you are doing all television, people come out with stars. One stat that emerged during a Test match against England, which shocked me, really. It said that in the last three years, when you look at the top players in the world, that is [Kane] Williamson, David Warner, Babar Azam, Virat Kohli and Joe Root, Virat had played three times the number of games as everyone else across all cricket,” Shastri said.
“So it shocked me where he was at about 950 games, and that next was at 400. They had played less than half. When you are the captain of a side, playing all three formats, it takes a toll. And it would have sucked whatever out of him. And that’s why the break might just help him come around and do wonders,” he added.
Shastri also made a suggestion that Virat Kohli’s performances would help him regain his mental fortitude and praised him for keeping up his physical stamina and fitness.
“People keep saying, it’s often used that one or two innings can make a difference. But with a player like this, it can make a massive difference because he has got the fitness, he has got the physical strength. Performance will get the mental strength back, and the hunger and passion remain undiminished. Let me assure you that,” he further added.
