An attempt was made to ensure I don't get the job of Team India’s head coach: Ravi Shastri

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said that there were people who were against him taking up the coaching job in the national team. Back in 2017, Shastri took over from Anil Kumble, who resigned after an alleged spat with Indian captain Virat Kohli. In 2019, Shastri was reappointed as Team India’s head coach.

His tenure ended after India made an early exit from the T20 World Cup 2021 in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The Men in Blue, then led by Virat Kohli, couldn’t go beyond the Super 12. Shastri also said that a number of people opposed Bharat Arun’s appointment as India’s bowling coach.

I’m not pointing any fingers at people in general, says Ravi Shastri

“Yes. They didn’t want to give me Bharat Arun either as the bowling coach. And looking at how things pan out – the very guy they didn’t want as the bowling coach went on to become the finest this country has ever had.

“And I’m not pointing any fingers at people in general. Specific people. I must say an attempt was made to ensure I don’t get the job. But such is life,” Shastri was quoted as saying in an exclusive interview with The Times of India.

Under Arun, India developed one of the most lethal pace attacks in international cricket. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami have not only helped India win at home, but also in tough overseas conditions.

Earlier, Shastri reckoned that he wasn’t the right man for the job, especially at a time when Indian cricket was in the doldrums due to lack of consistent performances on overseas soil. Back in 2014, Shastri took charge as India’s team director.

“In many ways, I thought, I was a mistake doing this job because I wasn’t cut out to do this. It was destiny. Indian cricket was not in good shape again after back-to-back overseas losses between 2012 and 2014. They were languishing back of the table across formats,” Shastri added.

Although under Shastri’s tenure India couldn’t win an ICC trophy, they climbed to the top of the Test rankings and also won plenty of bilateral series.