Disappointed not to win an ICC trophy but have no regrets, says Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri coached India from 2017 to 2021
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Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has said that he is disappointed with not being able to win an ICC trophy but doesn’t have any regrets. Shastri’s tenure ended with India’s exit from the T20 World Cup after the Super 12 stage as they lost to Pakistan and New Zealand in their first two games.
The 59-year-old was appointed the head coach after Anil Kumble resigned from the role following his differences with Virat Kohli and India’s failure to defend the Champions Trophy in 2017. Under Shastri’s tenure, the Virat Kohli-led side won two back-to-back Test series in Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21. They also won their first ever ODI and T20I series in South Africa, won an ODI series in New Zealand in 2019 after a gap of 10 years, won their first bilateral ODI series in Australia and also won their first T20I series in England.
In the ICC tournaments, India reached the semi-finals in the 2019 ODI World Cup in England, reached the final of the World Test Championship in 2021 but bounced back to lead the incomplete, five-match Test series against England by 2-1 and failed to make it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup this year.Â
Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri, the 1983-World Cup winner while reflecting on his journey, said that he has no regrets and added that the team is an overachiever.Â
"No regrets, when you've had a journey over five years the way I have had and the team has had and when they have been overachievers. The highs, it has to be Australia, just cannot take that away. Back to back wins in Australia after almost 70 years is something that was unimaginable. Makes it extremely special. And of course, leading the series in England," Ravi Shastri said.
"It is a disappointment, not regret. We could have won if not one, then maybe two tournaments but such things happen. In white-ball cricket, things change very quickly. If you don't start well you could be behind very quickly like it happened in this World Cup.
Shastri added that the team won enough silverware but it’s important to infuse the "steel" within the group.Â
"But let me tell you something, that is silverware. We have enough silverware if I have too much of it, it's a problem polishing it after a few years when I get a little older. But for me, steel is more important and what we have done with this team is infuse steel. You can ask anyone around the world, actually which is the best team. They will say it is the Indian cricket team across formats," he added.
Alongside Shastri, his associates consisting bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar also ended their tenure with the team.Â
