India captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri have formed an amazing partnership that saw India reigning supreme at the top of the Test team rankings for an extended period of time. India also reached the semi-final of the 2019 ICC World Cup during their tenure.
Team India then created history by beating Australia in Australia in back-to-back Test series and has done amazingly well at home as well, qualifying for the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli recently recalled head coach Ravi Shastri's first speech to team India in 2014, during the launch of Shastri’s new book. Recalling his first speech in the Indian dressing room, Kohli said Shastri's words had shaken him and lifted the spirits of the Indian team.
"His experiences have been priceless for us and they continue to be. I will say a few words on our working relationship, our bond over the years. Started in 2014, I met him many times because he was the most prominent voice in cricket from India and worldwide. We always look forward to his commentary skills. We actually started working together then," Kohli said at the launch.
"I remember in 2014 he gave us a pep talk for the first time. We were a bit down as a team and things were not happening well and he was brought in, he was brought in for the second time to set things right. In his first speech he gave, the first word he said was 'boys' in the voice that only he can generate. And I clearly remember, I was sitting down and my body shook because I had never heard someone speak so clearly and with so much determination and positivity," recalled the Indian skipper.
Kohli also said that he and Shastri share the vision of taking Indian cricket to greater heights. And that their relationship has been built on trust and mutual respect for each other. The duo has been instrumental in helping the Indian team clinch memorable victories.
"All I can say is that our working relationship has been built on trust and mutual respect, on a vision that has been shared. The only focus is to take Indian cricket higher and in a better place. Both of us together along with the brilliance of the whole team and the talent we have been blessed with, I think we have been able to achieve that and it's something we are proud of," Kohli said.
(timesnownews inputs)
