Virat Kohli Might Say No To White Ball Captaincy, But Should Carry On As Red Ball Captain - Ravi Shastri
Published - 13 Nov 2021, 03:46 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:01 AM
Ravi Shastri opined that Virat Kohli, who has stepped down from India‘s T20I captaincy, may soon relinquish his ODI captaincy as well, but, the former India head coach believes Kohli should definitely continue as the Test skipper.
The Ravi Shastri-Virat Kohli era has come to an end as the coach’s tenure concluded with the T20 World Cup, with Kohli making a way as a T20I leader.
During the past four years, while India were left wanting more in limited-overs cricket, the team catapulted its status in Test cricket, with a couple of historic series wins in Australia, and now holds a 2-1 lead in the unfinished England series.
Ravi Shastri asserted that Kohli is hungrier and fitter than ever, and remains the “best ambassador for Test cricket”. This, he feels, should keep the right-hander at the helm in Test cricket.
“He is hungry. He is fitter than anyone in the team and then your longevity only increases,” Ravi Shastri told India Today.
“The captaincy is his decision. If anything, he might say no to the white ball but red ball, he should carry on because he has been the best ambassador for Test cricket over the past 5 years. The passion with which he plays and the energy he gets to the field and the success, all of it should make him carry on,” he added.
We should have put in a better show in the WTC final: Ravi Shastri
Although India dominated Test cricket under Kohli, they lost the WTC final to New Zealand, after topping the WTC table. The coach reckoned India should have played better cricket in Southampton, and perhaps escaped with a draw.
He also pointed out New Zealand had been more accustomed to the conditions than India as the Kiwis had played a 2-Test series against hosts England.
“I thought we should have put in a better show in the WTC final. It disappoints me more than anything. We didn’t deserve to lose it, a draw was in the making especially in a one-off Test and when you have been in quarantine for 28 days and then out for four days and playing a Test.
“That too against a team that has already played two Tests in England, familiar with the conditions and it is similar what they find back in their home. That would be the disappointing team because when you have been No 1 Test team for 5 years,” Ravi Shastri explained.
Rahul Dravid has replaced Ravi Shastri as the new coach of the Indian team. Dravid’s first assignment would be the home T20I and Test series against New Zealand.
