Reports | Ravi Shastri likely to part ways with the Indian team after T20 World Cup
As per reports, Ravi Shastri has informed some of the cricket board members that he will discontinue his role as team India’s head coach after his term ends with the conclusion of the T20 World Cup in the UAE. Some of the other support staff members too are said to be in talks with IPL teams.
Team India’s coaching staff is likely to undergo significant changes with head coach Ravi Shastri likely to part ways with the team after the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. Bowling coach Bharat Arun, fielding coach R Sridhar and batting coach Vikram Rathour might also exit after the tournament, The Indian Express has reported on Wednesday, August 11. The cricket board are therefore looking forward to putting a new group onboard, the report stated.
Shastri had first served as the team director from 2014 till the 2016 T20 World Cup at home, after which Anil Kumble was named the head coach. Kumble was replaced by Shastri a year later, after the completion of the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, where India lost to Pakistan in the final.
India’s improved show in overseas Tests, best highlighted by their back-to-back series triumphs in Australia, has been Shastri's major success during his stint with the Virat Kohli led side. The 59-year-old has also seen promising young talents evolve into match-winners, including the likes of Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. The team has significantly improved on the bowling and fielding fronts too, thanks to the efforts of Bharat Arun and R Sridhar respectively.
A global triumph however, has eluded Shastri, who was a part of India’s first-ever World Cup win in 1983. During his earlier stint as manager, India could proceed no further than the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup in Australia and the T20 World Cup at home. They were beaten by New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semis, and later in the 2021 World Test Championship final, both in England.
According to protocol, the board will invite applications for the coaching positions after the T20 World Cup. As per the report, some officials have already pointed out that Rahul Dravid could be the front-runner for the head coach role, given his success with the India ‘A’ and U-19 sides, and with the senior team in Sri Lanka last month. Dravid's contract with the National Cricket Academy (NCA) ends in September.
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