IND vs NZ, Champions Trophy 2025 Final: Ravi Shastri Compares ODI GOAT Virat Kohli to Messi, Ronaldo & Djokovic

Add as a preferred source on Google

Ravi Shastri explains why Virat Kohli is the greatest of all time (GOAT) in ODI cricket as the former India head coach compares the Indian stalwart to football greats Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as well as tennis legends Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Messi, Ronaldo, Djokovic and Nadal have been regarded as the GOATs in their respective sports thanks to their domination in the last two decades. Kohli's career in ODIs has been nothing short of spectacular - 14,180 runs, including a record 51 centuries, at an incredible average of 58.11, firmly establishing his dominance in the format.

Although he entered the Champions Trophy 2025 with mixed numbers, Kohli showed signs of form in the tournament with a century against arch-rivals Pakistan and a crucial 84 against Australia in the semifinals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Form is temporary, but class in permanent is a term that can be recalled here.

Apart from his masterclass with the bat, Kohli brings a lot of energy on the field. In the latest episode of The ICC Review with Sanjana Ganesan, Shastri revealed that's one of the reason why people want to watch Kohli play as he drew comparisons with some of the modern day football and tennis greats.

"You know people (like to) watch sport when they watch a sportsman with energy," Shastri was quoted as saying on ICC. "Whether his name is (Cristiano) Ronaldo or it's (Lionel) Messi or whether it's a (Novak) Djokovic or whether it's (Rafael) Nadal, that energy that they bring in - there's a certain kind of charisma and it rubs off on other people. They want to watch this guy play."

It's not always about boundaries with Kohli, and Shastri, who worked closely with the star batter in an extremely successful coach-captain combination, shed light on what makes him the undisputed king of the 50-over format.

"His discipline, his awareness of match situations (are what sets him apart)," Shastri added . "I thought he tried to get ahead of himself in the last three or four years, where he was trying to outdo what he's good at and sometimes, it can catch up on you.

"But he's back to what he does best, which is take the singles, hit the ball along the ground, if necessary, go for the big one. Some of the greatest players who played the one-day game, especially in the chase, are guys who can do that.

"When you pick up singles with ease, there's no pressure. And then when you have another guy at the other end, someone like Shreyas (Iyer) who comes and smacks it, it takes the pressure off, it becomes still easier."

Kohli also revealed after the victory over Australia that picking up those singles were important. Now, the King will look to continue his form when India face New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 final on Sunday (March 9) at the same venue in Dubai.