Ravi Shastri snatches Virat Kohli's top spot to pick 5 Greatest Indian Cricketers
Table of Contents
Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri has named his top five greatest Indian cricketers of all time, and the list ignores the likes of Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, Rohit Sharma, and even Anil Kumble.
Ravi Shastri might have long retired from the game of cricket, but the game never left him, as he has been a constant part of the action, being a remarkable voice as a world-class commentator and then a successful coach for the Indian side.
Shastri is currently part of the commentary team in the ongoing India vs. England Test series and has often been heard keeping his opinions from the sidelines of the series through live sessions on social media, various podcast appearances, and even from the commentary box.
Ravi Shastri picks his Top 5 Greatest Indian Cricketers
During an interaction with former English players Alastair Cook and Michael Vaughan on The Overlap Cricket podcast, he was asked to name his 'top 5 Indian cricketers of all time.'
Ravi Shastri, without much delay and with great determination, answered, "Definitely (Sunil) Gavaskar, Kapil (Dev), Sachin (Tendulkar), and Virat (Kohli) definitely for being… I am looking at the most influential players of that era."
He further added, "Bishan (Singh Bedi) would have been there, but MS (Dhoni) again. MS will come in, and then Bumrah is still here. Bumrah is young; Bumrah has still got cricket. I am saying the guys who have almost finished their cricket, so these will be the five."
The former coach had a special mention for Jasprit Bumrah, often regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of modern Indian cricket.
“It will be Sunny, Kapil, Sachin, Dhoni, and Virat," concluded Shastri.
RAVI SHASTRI PICKS TOP 5 GREATEST INDIAN CRICKETERS OF ALL TIME: (Stick to Cricket).
— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) July 22, 2025
- Sachin Tendulkar.
- Virat Kohli.
- MS Dhoni.
- Sunil Gavaskar.
- Kapil Dev. pic.twitter.com/yVkA6Kmpoe
Virat Kohli dethroned—Shastri names new King as number 1 Indian player
The Englishmen were also not looking to let Shastri walk off easily; they further stressed him to pick "Who's the Number 1?"
“Gavaskar—I would say batting. Kapil, wow, a fabulous cricketer, and I would put the entire package at number 1, which would be Tendulkar because of the expectations and because of longevity, for having played 24 years in the game." Shastri didn't even think of naming Virat Kohli for that number 1 spot.
Shastri went on to praise the master blaster, totally unpaused, “24 years is a lot of time, and he has scored 100 hundreds. He played every pace attack of that decade."
"He started playing against Wasim (Akram), Waqar (Younis), and Imran (Khan). Then went on to the Aussies, then the English attack Broady (Stuart Broad) and (James) Anderson. South African attack (Jacques) Kallis, Shaun (Pollock). He is pure as technique and following-wise."
Former Indian coach picks India's next big all-rounder
The former Indian coach has backed Indian off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar to become a "genuine all-rounder for many, many years for India."
Whenever he has been handed an opportunity, Shastri has identified that the 25-year-old has given several performances to cement his position in the Indian side across several formats. Impressed by his all-round performance, Ravi Shastri decided to voice strong praise for his long future.
"I always loved Washington. When I saw him on day one, I said he's the man. And he can be a genuine all-rounder for many, many years for India," Shastri claimed on The ICC Review.
ALSO READ: Not Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah! Suresh Raina picks the backbone of current India
Tagged:
India National Cricket Team Virat Kohli Ravi Shastri Sachin Tendulkar Sunil Gavaskar Kapil Dev MS Dhoni
