I don’t know what Ravi Shastri has achieved in his career, questions Gautam Gambhir

Shastri had claimed that the current Indian team is the best touring side in last 15-20 years even after losing the Test series in England back in August-September this year. After announcing his retirement, Gambhir has gone on to criticise the claims made by the Indian coach and said that he has hardly any big achievements to his name. 

England did manage to win that series 4-1 and earlier this year, the Indian side had lost the Test series in South Africa as well. India is ahead in the ongoing Test series Down Under after winning the Adelaide Test last week.  

“I’m sure that people who haven’t won anything give these kinds of statements. I don’t know what Shastri has achieved in his career apart from winning the World Championship in Australia. I don’t think he was a part of an overseas series win. If you haven’t won anything yourself, you end up giving this kind of statement. I’m sure people wouldn’t have taken this seriously. I’m sure he must not have seen enough cricket. If he had he seen enough cricket, he wouldn’t have given that statement,” Gambhir told Network 18 during a recent interview. 

“It was very childish. Even if you had won 4-1, you won’t say this is the best Indian team touring abroad. You would still stay humble and say we want to take this, we want to go forward, we want to keep improving. You wouldn’t say this is the best Indian team ever overseas. This is childish. I’m sure people wouldn’t have taken this seriously. I don’t know about other people but I didn’t take it seriously because it was a very immature statement.”

“The endeavour of this team is to travel well, compete and win. If you look at the last three years, we have won nine matches overseas and three series. I can’t see any other Indian team in the last 15-20 years that has had the same run in such a short time, and you have had some great players playing in those series,” Shastri had said this during a press meet in England earlier this year.  

Shastri was appointed as the head coach of the Indian cricket team after BCCI decided to sack Kumble following India's loss against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final in June last year. Gambhir had termed Kumble as the best captain under whom he has played in his cricket career. The Delhi cricketer asserted that the way the former coach was sacked, it was a big disgrace for Indian cricket. 

“Anil Kumble was very, very important for Indian cricket. Kumble was an honest, selfless leader. If he had led India for a longer time, our history would have been more glorious. He has been the biggest match winner for India ever. There has been no bigger disgrace for Indian cricket than the way Kumble was removed,” the former opener stated.