Virat Kohli came in the middle of the fundraiser and was clearly the showstopper, having also spoken about his bond with Shastri, who was the head coach when Kohli took the Test team to new heights
Virat Kohli (Pic: AFP)
Virat Kohli couldn’t suppress his laughter when quizzed about his Test retirement during Yuvraj Singh’s YouWeCan fundraiser in London. Now settled in the British capital, Kohli made a swift appearance at the charity gala fresh off his outing at Wimbledon, where he turned heads in an elegant brown suit.
The evening took an amusing turn when the event host brought up Kohli’s absence from the Indian squad, cheekily noting that the former captain had bowed out of Test cricket ahead of the England tour. With several members of the current team also in attendance, Kohli took the jest in stride, flashing his trademark grin.
"We miss you on the field man," said presenter Gaurav Kapur. With Ravi Shastri, Chris Gayle, Kevin Pietersen and Yuvraj himself standing next to Kohli, the Indian superstar took a pause before responding: "I just coloured my beard two days ago. You know it's time when you are colouring your beard every four days, it's time to relax."
Kohli came in the middle of the fundraiser and was clearly the showstopper, having also spoken about his bond with Shastri, who was the head coach when Kohli took the Test team to new heights.
"Honestly, if I wasn't working with him... what happened in Test cricket wouldn't have been possible. The clarity which we had together is very hard to find. It's everything for cricketers to grow in their careers.
"Even he hadn't backed me the way he did... those press conferences where he took the bullets from the front line. Things would have been different and I always have respect and regard for him, for being a massive part of my cricketing journey," said Kohli.
Shastri returned the compliment, calling Kohli the most influential cricketer of the last 15 years.
"You win World Cups and other things but for him to take the red ball cricket to the next level was something he wanted. Once he decided his mantra for success, the others had to follow.
"If India is playing a level of Test match cricket today, especially the younger generation that played under him, they should thank him. Even world cricket should thank him. With India playing well in Test cricket, the bucks came in, the BCCI got their chunk and rightly so.
"They are taking little, they should take more. But he is the most influential of the last decade or so," said the former India head coach referring to the country's most successful captain in Test cricket.
(With PTI inputs)
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