Not Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma: Sir Clive Lloyd names his current favourite Indian cricketers

Not Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma: Sir Clive Lloyd names his current favourite Indian cricketers originally appeared on Cricket News.
Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• West Indies legend Sir Clive Lloyd credits IPL for mentorship shaping India’s young Test cricketers.
• Sir Clive Lloyd picks Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill as current favourites.
• Paid tribute to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s legacy in Indian cricket.

Sir Clive Lloyd looks beyond Kohli and Rohit for his favourite cricketer pick

Forget Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma for a moment, because West Indies legend Sir Clive Lloyd has thrown his weight behind a different pair when asked to name his current favourites in the Indian Test set-up.

The Indian duo has retired from T20Is and Test cricket, and currently play only ODIs. 

When the West Indies great was quizzed on which players catch his eye the most these days, Lloyd didn’t hesitate to mention Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill, calling out both as quality performers worth watching closely.

“Oh! I like Shreyas [Iyer], [Shubman] Gill. There’s so many,” he told Revsportz. “Yeah, good cricketer. Gill is a good, excellent cricketer.”

The veteran also used the moment to praise how the IPL has changed the game for India’s younger crop, pointing out that today’s emerging cricketers get direct access to former Test greats who pass down years of hard-earned wisdom, something that simply wasn’t available before the league existed.

“The good thing about the IPL and Indian young cricketers is that they now have the experience of former Test players speaking to them,” he said. “Giving them that experience, passing on their knowledge, which they would not have acquired if there was no IPL. So, to me, it is helping Indian cricket quite a lot.”

Getty Images

Virat and Rohit remain on a high pedestal

Even while naming fresh favourites, Lloyd didn’t shy away from heaping praise on the two senior stalwarts. 

“Yeah, these are guys have kept cricket going and done extremely well,” he said.

Speaking specifically on Kohli’s impact on the game’s popularity, Lloyd didn’t hold back, insisting hardly any former player could claim to have done more for both Indian cricket and the sport at large.

“Very, he’s done as much as anybody you can think of,” he added.

“You can call any ex-player, he’s done marvellously for India and for cricket in general. And every good thing comes to an end, and it’s unfortunate. But I’m sure that he still loves the game and I’m sure that he’ll be a part of Indian cricket for quite some while.”

Kohli’s fitness check holds the key vs. England

Away from the praise, attention now shifts to Kohli’s immediate future, with a fitness assessment scheduled in the United Kingdom this Friday expected to determine whether he’s available for India’s forthcoming ODI series against England.

Kohli had already sat out the Afghanistan series due to a hamstring concern, though his recovery is reportedly progressing smoothly.

MORE: Inside Kohli’s injury rehab: How the India star is fast-tracking his return

Virat has picked up a right hamstring problem alongside a rare tear in the distal semimembranosus tendon, picked up during the IPL 2026 final, with rehabilitation currently underway under BCCI medical supervision in London.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Hardik Pandya looks increasingly likely to be left out of the England tour entirely. Although he had earned a spot in the ODI squad for the Afghanistan series, subject to clearing fitness protocols, current reports suggest he won’t make the cut for the England leg. 

For all the latest cricket news, opinion, and commentary and to share your voice, head to our Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter) pages.