A legendary figure in Indian cricket’s dressing room, be it as a player or more recently in the managerial capacity as the head coach of Team India, Ravi Shastri has stood the test of time beyond measure and come out as a victor who has achieved all there is to achieve in international cricket at the moment.
Soon to complete his four-year contract as the Indian cricket team’s coach at the end of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to be held in the UAE and Oman in October-November, the former India all-rounder is in no mood to extend his stay as the high-profile decision-maker, at the helm of the nation’s cricketing affairs.
Shastri’s exit from the top job will coincide with Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s decision of calling time as the Men in Blue’s T20I captain. Consequently, the entire setup of the squad is likely to be transformed after the ICC event concludes in November, as right from the support staff to the associates that coaches bring on board with themselves to the team will go through an overhaul. So far, the names of VVS Laxman and Anil Kumble have been doing the rounds as to who’s going to be Shastri’s successor.
The 59-year-old, who recently recovered from Covid-19 he contracted in the UK, is more than satisfied with all that he has achieved in the last 4 years as head coach and now wants to bow out in style by winning the T20 World Cup.
In a recent interview, Shastri expressed his thoughts about moving on with The Guardian:
“I believe so because I’ve achieved all I wanted. Five years as No 1 [in Test cricket], to win in Australia twice, to win in England.”
“We’ve also beaten every country in the world in their own backyard in white-ball cricket. If we win the [T20] World Cup that will be the icing on the cake. There is nothing more.”
“I believe one thing never overstay your welcome. And I would say that, in terms of what I wanted to get out of the side, I’ve over-achieved,” Shastri said.
During his tenure over the last 4 years, Shastri often came under the scanner for Team India’s performances in white-ball cricket as the famed Shastri-Kohli leadership duo couldn’t lead the team to a major piece of ICC silverware in the limited-overs format so far. But the T20 World Cup in UAE seems like just what the doctor ordered for both the stalwarts to step aside from their roles on a high.
“You know, being the coach of India is like being the football coach of Brazil or England. There’s always this gun pointing at you. Always.”
“You might have six great months and then you get out for 36 and they will shoot you. Then you have to win immediately. Otherwise they will eat into you, right through. You need a hide like mine, absolutely like leather, so it doesn’t make a difference,” added Shastri.
