Kohli is the mirror-image of Richards, says Shastri

“Some of his (Kohli) batting reminded me of Viv -- like the way the great man dominated all formats of the game he played. He is an ‘in your face kind’ of batsman,” Shastri analysed the present Indian team ahead of the World T20 at home next month. The comparison cannot be too off the mark given that Richards himself has stated that he sees a bit of himself in the flamboyant Indian, a praise that Kohli finds surreal. 

Shatri feels Kohli, combined with the equally devastating Rohit Sharma and the revived Shikhar Dhawan, make for the “best top three in the world”. “Shikhar has a license to be destructive at the top, that’s the role he has, and once his chances came off, there was no stopping him. Rohit is all class: brilliant, explosive and his nonchalance is frightening. Virat just tears attacks to shreds, carves them to pieces. He wields his willow like a fencer does to his sword,” Shastri explained.