Virat Kohli is one of the most pleasant and normal blokes: Ravi Shastri

It would not be entirely wrong to say that there is a certain segment of people who do not like Virat Kohli and the reason for that is his attitude. The India skipper comes across as an aggressive individual who wears his heart on the sleeve. His ‘in your face’ attitude has made many take a shot at him. Time and again, Kohli has faced severe criticism for his on-field behaviour despite being arguably the best batsman in the world right now. Recently, he coped criticism from all around for his on-field conduct during the Perth Test against Australia.

Whether it was showing the finger to the Sydney crowd during the infamous tour of 2011, aggressive send-offs, abusing opponents or trying to get under the skin of the opposition, Kohli has done it all. Unsurprisingly, he makes it to the news headlines for all the wrong reasons more often than not. Consequently, over the years, the majority have developed a perception that Kohli is not an easy-going person.

However, India head coach Ravi Shastri has painted Kohli’s behaviour in a completely different way. In a recent interview, the former India all-rounder said that contrary to the popular perception, Kohli is the ‘most pleasant person’ off the field’

“He has matured tremendously,” Shastri said of Kohli in a conversation with former England captain Michael Vaughan for The Telegraph.

“When I told the Aussie media he is the perfect gentleman, they were shocked. On the field is one thing, but come off the field and meet him, he is one of the most pleasant and normal blokes you could ever meet. He is very caring with his team-mates and just a fantastic role model. I am lucky to be part of the dressing room and to see the greatest player in the world,” he added.

Shastri and Kohli’s successful partnership

Shastri and Kohli, meanwhile, have developed a formidable coach-captain partnership since the former replaced Anil Kumble as head coach in 2017. Recently, India won the Test series in Australia and became the first Asian team to do so. It was India’s first Test series win on the Australia soil in 71 years and 12 attempts.

On Friday, India beat Australia by seven wickets in the third ODI at the MCG to register their first-ever bilateral ODI series win Down Under.

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