Ravi Shastri: India's All-Format Allrounder and Champion's Champion
Ravi Shastri was India's most valuable allrounder of the 1980s — a left-arm spinner and determined lower-order batter who scored 3,830 Test runs and took 151 Test wickets, later becoming India's head coach during their most successful era.
Ravi Shastri was India's most complete allrounder of the 1980s — a slow left-arm spinner and determined left-handed lower-middle order batter from Mumbai who played 80 Tests from 1981 to 1992, scoring 3,830 runs at an average of 35.79 with 11 centuries and taking 151 wickets at 40.96. Shastri's batting became progressively more important to India as his career developed — he could play long, patient innings when India needed to save a match or build a total, and his technique against fast bowling was sound enough for the international level. His most celebrated batting achievement was hitting six sixes in an over — off Baroda's Tilak Raj in the 1985 Ranji Trophy — making him only the second man after Sir Garfield Sobers to achieve the feat in a first-class match. As a bowler, Shastri was miserly rather than penetrating — his economy rate in Tests was outstanding, and he provided control over long spells that took pressure off India's pace bowlers. After retirement he became one of cricket's most high-profile commentators before becoming India's head coach from 2017 to 2021, overseeing the team's rise to world number one in Tests and its historic series win in Australia in 2020-21.
Six Sixes in First-Class Cricket
Shastri hit six sixes in an over off Tilak Raj during a Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede in 1985 — the second player after Sobers to achieve this feat in first-class cricket. The feat came during a match between Mumbai and Baroda, and Shastri required the sixes to complete a double century. Each delivery was dispatched over the boundary, with Shastri using a combination of power and timing.
Coaching Career
Shastri's coaching tenure with India (2017-2021) coincided with one of the team's most successful periods — two series wins in Australia (2018-19 and 2020-21), a period of sustained Test excellence and strong white-ball performances. His relationship with Virat Kohli was central to India's success; the two shared a vision of aggressive, confident cricket that transformed the team's approach to away series.
Frequently asked questions
How many Test wickets did Ravi Shastri take?
Shastri took 151 Test wickets at 40.96 in 80 Tests with his slow left-arm spin. He also scored 3,830 Test runs at 35.79 with 11 centuries, making him one of India's most complete allrounders of the 1980s.
Did Ravi Shastri hit six sixes in an over?
Yes. Shastri hit six sixes in an over off Baroda's Tilak Raj in a 1985 Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede — the second player after Garfield Sobers to achieve this in first-class cricket. Kieron Pollard later became the third to do it in international cricket.
Was Ravi Shastri India's coach?
Yes. Shastri served as India's head coach from 2017 to 2021, overseeing a hugely successful period that included historic series wins in Australia, sustained Test world rankings excellence, and strong limited-overs performances. He worked closely with captain Virat Kohli.