Indian skipper Virat Kohli admitted that his body shook when he first heard Ravi Shastri giving a pep talk to Team India back in 2014. Kohli revealed this during Ravi Shastri’s book, named Stargazing: The Players In My Life, launch event.
Ravi Shastri was appointed the team director back in 2014 when India lost the Test series in England. He came in for the white-ball series and the result changed instantly with India winning the five-match series by 3-1.
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Shastri’s role ended after World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. Anil Kumble was selected to be the head coach of India after the global event. However, his tenure ended after Team India’s defeat in the Champions Trophy 2017 final against Pakistan.
Then came the Ravi Shastri era, where India have dominated all parts of the world. India defeated Australia in their own backyard twice and reached the inaugural World Test Championship Final.
Speaking of Shastri, Kohli recalled the first pep talk he gave and how Kohli’s body shook after hearing his voice.
“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 book launch event.
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“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,” the Indian skipper added.
“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 signed off.
