Veteran India fast bowler Mohammed Shami has named Ravi Shastri as the best head coach he has worked under, choosing him over Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, and current India head coach Gautam Gambhir. Speaking to Times Now Navbharat, Shami praised Shastri's approach and the freedom he gave players.
India, led by Shubman Gill, will next play a two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, which is scheduled to begin at Galle on August 15. Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out with a knee injury, but the selectors did not include Shami in the squad, despite his recent appearances in domestic cricket and other formats.
Mohammed Shami Chooses Ravi Shastri Over Gautam Gambhir
During an interview with Times Now Navbharat, Mohammed Shami was asked to choose the best India head coach from Ravi Shastri, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, and Gautam Gambhir. The veteran pacer said that it was difficult to compare them but eventually picked Ravi Shastri.
"It's a bit difficult to compare everyone. No, no... I haven't played much under Gauti bhai because I didn't get many matches. I spent good time with Rahul bhai and Anil bhai as well."
"But if I have to choose one among these four, I would pick Ravi bhai because of the freedom he gives. He wants to see that aggression in a player. When you go out to fight and play a match, that attitude is clearly visible under him."
Mohammed Shami's Test Snub for Sri Lanka Series
Mohammed Shami was not considered for the Test series against Sri Lanka. Shami completed a full domestic season, but there were no discussions about selecting him.
However, Mohammed Shami handled a heavy red-ball workload during the 2025-26 domestic season. He bowled 264.3 first-class overs across the Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy, taking 38 wickets. In the Ranji Trophy alone, he claimed 37 wickets in seven matches at an average of 16.72, including three five-wicket hauls.
Shami also picked up 16 wickets in seven Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches and 15 wickets in seven Vijay Hazare Trophy games. Overall, he finished with 69 wickets in 22 domestic matches before playing 13 IPL 2026 matches for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), where he took 12 wickets.
Ravi Shastri Oversaw One of India's Most Successful Eras
Ravi Shastri served as India's head coach from July 2017 to November 2021 after replacing Anil Kumble. Before that, he also worked as Team Director between 2014 and 2016.
India enjoyed remarkable success under Shastri, especially in Test cricket. The team won 25 of its 43 Tests under his leadership, with a win percentage of 58.14%. India also won 51 of 76 ODIs and 43 of 65 T20Is during his tenure.
One of the biggest achievements under Shastri came in Australia. India became the first Asian team to win a Test series there in 2018-19 before repeating the feat with a 2-1 victory during the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite several injuries.
India also remained the No. 1-ranked Test team for 42 consecutive months and reached the final of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship (WTC), where they lost to New Zealand in 2021.
