Former Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri opened up about the biggest myth surrounding star batter Virat Kohli. Shastri has worked for several years with Kohli and during their tenure as captain and head coach, India went on to attain such success on the international level. In a video posted on YouTube by the One8 channel, Shastri said that the perception that Kohli is ‘arrogant’ and a ‘spoiled brat’ may be true but it is restricted only to the cricket field. The 1983 World Cup winner said that Kohli is a completely different person off the field and he possesses the brilliant quality of switiching it on during matches.
“Arrogant. Spoiled brat. Over the top. On edge. Everything true, but on the field. Totally the opposite off it. I love people who have the ability to switch on like that and then switch off,” he said in the video.
Earlier, Kohli paid tribute to Kane Williamson following the New Zealand batting great’s retirement from international cricket, saying he cherished their friendship and that it was time for the charismatic batter to celebrate the rewards of a lifetime devoted to the game.
Arguably New Zealand’s greatest ever batter, Williamson’s announcement pulls the curtain down on a glorious 16-year international career that has seen him play 378 games for his country, setting countless batting records and earning the respect and admiration of the cricketing world.
His decision follows an earlier call to step way from T20 Internationals in 2025.
Kohli and Williamson’s friendship dates back to the 2008 Under-19 World Cup.
Since then, the two batting greats have faced each other across formats for their respective countries and in the IPL, where Kohli has been a long-time mainstay of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, while Williamson represented Sunrisers Hyderabad and Lucknow Super Giants.
