Ravi Shastri's tenure as India head coach has ended following India's early exit in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, as he signs off, he is both emotional and proud. Here's what he said.
Former champion Team India could not give the perfect farewell to head coach Ravi Shastri, as it was knocked out early in the ICC T20 World Cup, finishing third in the Super 12 stage and thus missing out on the semis berth. Consequently, Shastri's four-year stint as the Team India head coach finished without an ICC trophy.
However, as Shastri sums up his stint, he calls himself a proud man to have guided a batch of young and talented individuals. He even hailed the current Indian team as the best in recent history. He said that he took up the role because he wanted to make a difference. For him, the side creating an impact in the most extended format across the globe was a proud moment.
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"I am mentally drained, but I expect that at my age. These guys are physically and mentally drained, six months in a bubble. What we would have ideally liked was a bigger gap between the IPL and the World Cup. So, it's when the big games come when the pressure hits you; you are not as switched on as you should be. That's not an excuse. We'll take defeat because we are not scared of losing. Because in trying to win, you will lose a game. Here, we didn't try to win because that X-factor was missing," he told Star Sports.
Speaking on the T20WC, he said that the Indians lacked the energy initially, especially against New Zealand, but that is no excuse, besides asserting that the toss plays an essential factor in some games. However, he also slammed the cricketing calendar and expected some gap between the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) and T20WC.
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He also affirmed that the team is working on giving more freedom to the players to play when they want, considering the impact of the strict bio-bubble measure on mental health. He also applauded the culture skipper Virat Kohli has brought into the team and expects the young batch, the incoming skipper (Rohit Sharma) and coach (Rahul Dravid) to carry the practice forward.
"It's one of the great sides to have played cricket at the highest level in the history of the game when you look all round. Let's not take anything away from that. For me, to be part of that journey with the boys and for the boys to respond and raise the bar in that fashion leaves you going from the dressing room emotional, but a very proud man," he concluded during the post-match press conference.