Archive · 23 Jul 2025
Shastri Names Top 5 Most Influential Cricketers of All Time
Former coach Ravi Shastri picked his top five most important cricketers ever.
These were Gavaskar, Kapil, Sachin, Dhoni, and Kohli.
He chose them based on how much they influenced the sport during their time.
He said Gavaskar was the best at batting and Tendulkar was great all around, due to longevity, stats, and the bowlers he played against.
Kapil is remembered for helping India win the 1983 World Cup.
Dhoni is known for being a great captain, and Kohli is recognized as a great player across all formats of the game.
Ravi Shastri named his top five most influential cricketers of all time.
The list includes Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, and Virat Kohli.
Shastri ranked Gavaskar as the best batter and Tendulkar as the 'entire package'.
Kapil Dev is lauded for inspiring the 1983 World Cup win.
Virat Kohli is noted as India's all-format great with impressive records.
- Who
- Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli.
- What
- Ravi Shastri named his top five most influential cricketers.
- When
- Not explicitly stated, but refers to past cricketing eras.
- Where
- Not explicitly stated, but referenced during a podcast.
- Why
- To identify cricketers who have had the greatest influence on the sport.
- Shastri's Top 5
- Gavaskar, Kapil, Sachin, Dhoni, Kohli
- Gavaskar's Runs
- 13,214 runs in international games
- Sachin's Centuries
- 100 international centuries
- Dhoni's Titles
- Won ICC T20 World Cup (2007), ICC Cricket World Cup (2011), ICC Champions Trophy (2013)
- Kohli's Runs
- 27,599 runs in 550 matches