‘I know how the modern player thinks’ – Ravi Shastri on franchise coaching prospects after leaving Team India

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri said that he’s open to coaching in franchise cricket as he’s aware of the thinking process of the current generation. The veteran served as the national head coach for four years from 2017 to 2021. He bowed out after India crashed out from the T20 World Cup 2021 after initial losses at the hands of Pakistan and New Zealand.

Recently, reports stated that Shastri might join the team from Ahmedabad for the 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League. As per reports, he’s likely to join the team along with Bharat Arun and R Sridhar. About going into franchise cricket, Shastri answered in the affirmative.

“If asked, I would 100 per cent like to be a franchise coach. I will definitely do broadcast work. I have 25 years of experience there and have travelled the globe. [Also,] I now know how the modern player thinks,” Shastri was quoted as saying to The Week.

I decided in England that this was it, says Ravi Shastri

Shastri said that it was during India’s tour of England earlier this year that he decided of stepping down as the Indian head coach. In 2017, he took over from Anil Kumble, who reportedly, resigned after an ugly spat with Virat Kohli.

“I decided in England that this was it. We had been on the road for two years. I needed to spend time with family. There is a time and place for everything. I had done my time. I gave it all, came [to the job] without any agenda,” he stated.

Shastri also had words of praises for Kohli, who’s led India across all three formats for nearly five years. He also admitted that being the skipper of an Indian team isn’t a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination. Moreover, Shastri said that Kohli has grown leaps and bounds as a captain.

“At the end of the day, he has been a tactically sound captain. Efficient. People will always judge you by results, or not by how you got the runs, but how many runs you scored. He has evolved well; he has matured as a player. It is not easy being captain of the Indian team,” Shastri added.