Jamaican sprinting legend Usain Bolt has named his dream relay cricket team, which has caught fans’ attention across the world. The eight-time Olympic gold medalist named Indian superstar Virat Kohli in his ultimate cricket relay squad.
Apart from Virat Kohli, Australia’s legendary fast bowler Brett Lee, and South Africa’s fielding great Jonty Rhodes have also made it to Usain Bolt’s dream cricket relay team.
Usain Bolt names Virat Kohli, Brett Lee, and Jonty Rhodes in his ultimate dream cricket relay team
Bolt, who started his athletic journey as a cricketer, has mentioned that Virat Kohli’s quickness and sharp fielding instincts make him a perfect pick for a relay-style cricket team.
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Brett Lee, who was known for his express pace, and Jonty Rhodes, famous for his lightning-fast fielding and acrobatic stops, complete Bolt’s dream team built for both speed and precision.
Usain Bolt was quoted as saying by India Today: “We have been talking about this. I think Virat Kohli. He is definitely quick. I know Brett Lee, and I would say Jonty Rhodes.”
Usain Bolt shares how a cricket coach changed his destiny
In a fascinating revelation, Bolt revealed that his sprinting career almost never happened. He started as a fast bowler in his school cricket team in Jamaica, and it was his cricket coach who noticed his exceptional running ability and encouraged him to try track and field.
Bolt added, “Well, for me, it was my cricket coach. I was a fast bowler, and my cricket coach kind of saw me running in, and he said, ‘You know what, why not try track and field?’ And I tried, and I was really good. I was pretty talented, and that’s something that I just continued.”
Had he not been guided toward sprinting, Bolt believes that he could have pursued cricket professionally, inspired by his father’s passion for the sport.
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The Jamaican legend added, “A cricketer for sure. Yeah, I think if my cricket coach probably didn’t say, “You know what, go try running,” I probably would have stuck with cricket because my dad was a massive cricket fan and that’s all I knew growing up. Cricket, a little bit of football, but all I knew was cricket.”
Usain Bolt opens up about his favourite cricketer
Bolt has revealed a list of legends who inspired him growing up. Among his top picks are Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Jonty Rhodes, Courtney Walsh, and Curtly Ambrose. Bolt admired Rhodes for his incredible fielding and called him one of the best fielders to ever grace the game.
He signed off by saying, “Yeah, I grew up watching all these guys over the years. I was a fan of all of them.”
Notably, Kohli was last seen in action for India during their triumphant ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign in March. Now, he is gearing up for the upcoming three-match ODI series in Australia later this month. He already retired from the Test and T20I cricket. Now, he only focuses on ODIs.
