Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, David Warner, Kane Williamson and Joe Root are five of the biggest batting superstars of world cricket. Of course, the likes of Quinton de Kock, Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow, Rassie van der Dussen are more are equally good, but the consistency the 'Fab Five' as people like to fondly address them, have shown is unmatched. And because of this, the comparisons between them are rife. Statisticians, former cricketers and most importantly, the fans love to dig out numbers, facts and trivia to determine just who the best is.
Of these star batters, only Virat Kohli seems to have fallen behind in the pecking order. The former India captain has been struggling for form lately, which has spiked the statistics of his compatriots. However, despite his lean run, Kohli, thanks to his almost jaw-dropping consistency over the years, has managed to keep his aura intact in the list of world's top batters. Weighing in on the topic, former India coach Ravi Shastri recalled a 'shocking' stat about Kohli that he came across during the rescheduled fifth Test between India and England.
"Sometimes, it is important that when we talk about this rest and all that. Later on, you realise that when you are back in the media, you are doing all television, people come out with star. One stat that emerged during a Test match against England, which shocked me, really. It said that in the last three years, when you look at the top players in the world, that is [Kane] Williamson, David Warner, Babar Azam, Virat Kohli and Joe Root, Virat had played three times the number of games as everyone else across all cricket," Shastri said in a press conference organised by Star Sports, the official broadcaster of Asia Cup 2022.
{{/usCountry}}"Sometimes, it is important that when we talk about this rest and all that. Later on, you realise that when you are back in the media, you are doing all television, people come out with star. One stat that emerged during a Test match against England, which shocked me, really. It said that in the last three years, when you look at the top players in the world, that is [Kane] Williamson, David Warner, Babar Azam, Virat Kohli and Joe Root, Virat had played three times the number of games as everyone else across all cricket," Shastri said in a press conference organised by Star Sports, the official broadcaster of Asia Cup 2022.
{{/usCountry}}"So it shocked me where he was at about 950 games and that next was at 400. They had played less than half. When you are captain of a side, playing all three formats, it takes a toll. And it would have sucked whatever out of him. And that's why the break might just help him come around and do wonders"
As a person who has seen Kohli from close quarters and coached him, Shastri is confident that the star India batter will come back to his best. He feels that in terms of fitness, there is no Indian cricketer above Kohli and that for his age, he is a machine. It is a case of Kohli getting his mind right and being in the right frame to approach games.
"People keep saying... it's often used that one or two innings can make a difference. But with a player like this, it can make a massive difference because he has got the fitness, he has got the physical strength. Performance will get the mental strength back and the hunger and passion remain undiminished. Let me assure you that," added Shastri.
"He is hungry, passionate and must have learned from this patch that he has gone through. All players do. When you are suddenly on the rise right at the pinnacle of your career and then have a slump which brings you right down, then it's your character that makes you get up and stand and fight again."