Virender Sehwag Makes Sensational Revelation After Not Becoming Team India Coach

Few months after being snubbed from replacing Anil Kumble as Team India’s head coach, former India batsman Virender Sehwag has made some startling revelation regarding the issue that began with Kumble stepping down from the post and ended with Ravi Shastri replacing him.

Sehwag along with Shastri, Tom Moody, Phil Simmons, Richard Pybus and Lalchand Rajput was shortlisted for the role. The former India batsman had also attended the interview in person at BCCI’s headquarters in Mumbai with media reports even suggesting that he was the favourite to land the job. However, the job was eventually handed to Shastri who was not even in the race initially and had applied for the post only after the BCCI controversially re-opened the process.

With Shastri’s appointment, the bitter episode seemed to have ended but Sehwag has now opened the Pandora’s box as he has insisted he lost the race to Shastri because he ‘didn’t have any setting’ with the BCCI. Sehwag also revealed that when he had contacted Shastri he had said he would not apply for the post after being ignored for the role in 2016.

“See, I didn’t have any setting,” Sehwag told India Today. “When I was in England during the Champions Trophy, I had asked Ravi Shastri that why he hasn’t applied for the post? Shastri then told me that he will not repeat the mistake which he had already made once.”

While a few report suggested that Sehwag would pip Shastri to get the lucrative job, the latter was clear favourite to replace Kumble. Shastri was a popular figure in the dressing room during his 2-year tenure (2014-16)as  the team director and shared a great rapport with captain Virat Kohli.

Sehwag further reiterated the fact that he applied for the post only after being persuaded by BCCI officials.

“I never thought of coaching the Indian cricket team. I was given the offer… BCCI secretary Amitabh Choudhury and MV Sridhar came to me and requested me to think on the offer. I took my time and then applied for the position,” Sehwag added.