Former India head coach Ravi Shastri praised Virat Kohli’s leadership and character and recalled how the former Indian skipper stood firmly behind Mohammed Shami when the pacer was subjected to a wave of online abuse following India’s defeat to Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup.”Virat was, in every sense, a player’s captain – giving everything he had, and expecting nothing less from those around him.
His handling of the Mohammed Shami episode exemplifies how he stood up for his teammate when the fast bowler was subjected to unfair social media trolling after the 10-wicket loss to Pakistan in the 2021 T20 World Cup,” Shastri recalled in his latest column for thesportstar.comIt was almost four years ago when Kohli had thrown his full support behind Shami after the fast bowler was vile abuse on the internet after India suffered its first defeat against their arch-rivals in a World Cup.But Kohli stood rock solid behind his leading seamer and countered the trolls with a blistering attack.”It has become a social pandemic in today’s world, which is unfortunate and sad to see because this is literally the lowest level of human potential that one can operate at. And that’s how I look at these people,” Kohli had said.Deeming them as spineless and pathetic, Kohli had said, “Attacking someone over their religion is the most pathetic thing that a human being can do. They have no understanding of how much effort we put on the field. They do no understand that someone like Shami has won India matches in the last few years,” Kohli had thundered.Lauding Kohli’s intelligence, Shastri revealed how the former India skipper had gained the trust from each of his players during his tenure.”Virat was the most reassuring presence for newcomers, a captain who stood firmly behind his players. The way he backed them, especially in difficult moments, drew out their best. Players embraced his leadership with the same trust and enthusiasm once reserved for M.S. Dhoni,” added Shastri.