Team India bid farewell to one of its most successful coaches in the past decade, as Ravi Shastri brought his successful seven-year stint to an end. He stepped down from the role following India's failed outing in the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, being played in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while he could not help India win an ICC title.
Clarifying it, Shastri said that Ganguly was his buddy, while there are clashes occasionally owing to different thoughts. However, he explained that he had known Ganguly from a young age, back when he used to play for Tata Steel when Shastri used to be the skipper during the Times Shield tournament back then.
However, he further attested that he let go of things quickly and recorded, "I am a guy who can let things go very easily. I am not the kind of guy who keeps anything inside and waits for the day when I can jump on that person or something. I have never been that kind of guy because when you have that kind of attitude, in a team sport, it becomes a problem."
On being asked about the allegations of duopoly between him and Virat Kohli, he rubbished the claims, stating that he does not give ears to such baseless reports. At the same time, he focuses on what happens in the dressing room, and the results matter to him. "People can speculate, people can write but, what the team writes on the scorecard is what will be etched in everyone's memory, not what people write. I want facts", he affirmed.
ALSO READ: Emotional Ravi Shastri signs off as India head coach, heralds Men in Blue as one of the greatest teams eve
Speaking on his decision to step down, Shastri reckoned that he was satisfied with his stint so far and applauded the team for its unreal achievements under him. However, he also made a controversial remark, stating that he was judged for the last seven years while his image was also under public scrutiny.
He further slammed the critics and said that those in the media were unaware of the potential the current Indian team possesses. While he labelled the team as the "greatest team", he slammed the media for calling his statements "bold and bombastic".