Will definitely coach an IPL team if I get the opportunity, says Ravi Shastri on his future
Former India coach Ravi Shastri has stated that he would definitely coach a franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), if he gets an opportunity. Shastri's tenure as India head coach ended earlier last week after the Men in Blue failed to make it to the semi-finals in the T20 World Cup 2021.
Ravi Shastri was appointed as Team India head coach in 2017, and his contract expired after the 2019 ODI World Cup in England. In August 2019, he was once again appointed as the head coach till the T20 World Cup 2021. The 59-year-old coached Team India for four years, and his stint as head coach ended with India's early exit from the T20 World Cup 2021.
During his tenure, India made it to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in England, and reached the semi-finals in the 2019 ODI World Cup. India also registered historic wins on foreign soils during Shastri’s tenure. Earlier, Cricbuzz reported that the newly added Ahmedabad franchise is likely to rope in Shastri as their coach for the 2022 season of the IPL.
Meanwhile, Shastri has admitted that he will definitely coach an IPL team if the franchise approaches him. The 59-year-old further added that he would also want to be part of the media industry, as he served as a commentator in the broadcasting industry for two decades after his retirement from international cricket.
"If I get the opportunity, I will definitely do it. There are no two ways about that. It will be a great experience. Something I have not tried and I relish challenges. I will go in that direction, for sure," Shastri said in an interview with NDTV.
"The sporting fraternity, since I left the game and went to broadcasting for 23 years, has opened up that massively, five fingers will not fit, you need ten. But I am good enough with five and it will be everything connected to cricket because whatever I am, it is because of the game and in many ways, the BCCI, because they are the custodians of the sport in India. But the media space is exploding and I think I fit in there," Shastri added.
Notably, Ravi Shastri has been roped in as the Commissioner of Legends League Cricket, which is scheduled to begin in January 2022.