Ravi Shastri Reveals His Top Five Indian Cricketers of All Time

Former India coach Ravi Shastri did not include Jasprit Bumrah and Rahul Dravid in his list of the top five Indian cricketers ever.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri did not include Jasprit Bumrah or Rahul Dravid in his list of the top five Indian cricketers ever. Bumrah grew into a top player while Shastri was coaching India, and Dravid is known as one of the best test players for India.

Shastri chose Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev for his list. He played with both during India’s famous 1983 World Cup win. Shastri has also worked as a commentator with Gavaskar and Kapil Dev.

The former all-rounder also included the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in his list. Tendulkar holds the record for the most runs in international cricket. Shastri’s other two choices were former India captains MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Dhoni has the most wins as India’s captain in white-ball cricket, while Kohli holds that record in Test matches.

“Definitely Gavaskar will start. Kapil, Sachin, Virat for sure. I am choosing the most important players of their time. MS too. Bumrah still has his career ahead. So, the five are Sunny, Kapil, Sachin, Dhoni, and Virat,” Shastri said during an episode of ‘Stick to Cricket.’

Ravi Shastri Reveals Cricket’s Biggest Rivalry

Shastri was asked about the biggest rivalry in cricket. He said that when he played, the biggest rivalry was between India and Pakistan. But in the last 10 years, the rivalry between India and Australia has grown a lot. For example, the Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy had the most spectators ever for a Test match in Australia.

He said, “When I played, India vs Pakistan was the biggest rivalry and attracted huge interest. But in the last ten years, India vs Australia has become very popular. India, England, and Australia have had great series. The Boxing Day Test at the MCG this time had the biggest crowd since Bradman’s team played in 1936. People come from all over to watch.”