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[Watch] When Ravi Shastri ‘Saluted’ Captain Virat Kohli For Winning In Australia

image-lquzdakrRavi Shastri and Virat Kohli (x.com)

Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri formed one of the most successful captain-coach pairs in Indian cricket history. The two helmed India’s historic Test series win in Australia in 2019, with Shastri replicating the feat two years later alongside stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane.

Kohli, on the other hand, ended his leadership career with the highest win count among all Indian captains, guiding Team India to 40 wins out of 68 matches, featuring some historic triumphs on tough Australian, South African and English surfaces.

Celebrating Kohli’s illustrious captaincy career, here at OneCricket, we take a look back at the time when Ravi Shastri virtually saluted his peer in front of a packed press conference.

When Ravi Shastri saluted Virat Kohli after series win

Back in January 2019, Ravi Shastri expressed immense praise and admiration for then captain Virat Kohli after the latter had guided the Indian team to their first ever Test series win in Australia. Speaking at the post-match press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), Shastri stated that he would like to salute his captain for penning a historic chapter in Indian cricket with his courageous leadership. He said:

“Past is history, future is a mystery. We have won today after 71 years, and I’d like to live in the present and salute my captain, for being the captain of the team that beat Australia for the first time in Australia.”

Ravi Shastri further praised the then Indian team for their attacking mindset and ruthless determination. He added:

“This is an Indian cricket team that will jump over a cliff to win a game for the country. That’s the determination, that’s the ruthlessness, that’s the mindset with which this team went into play in the series.”

Watch: Ravi Shastri praising Virat Kohli for defeating Australia

While Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri helmed a significant era for Indian cricket, their reign came to a crashing end when Team India failed to go past the opening round of the 2021 T20 World Cup in UAE. Soon after the tournament, they relinquished their respective roles to pave way for new captain Rohit Sharma and new head coach Rahul Dravid into the side.