Shastri's tenure as India head coach ended after the T20 World Cup in 2021.
Under Shastri, Team India did reasonably well, winning Test series in Australia (twice), Sri Lanka, West Indies and a number of bilateral series in white-ball cricket. They were also leading the Test series 2-1 in England in 2021, before the final Test was postponed due to COVID-19 scare in the visiting camp.
Despite the achievements, Shastri was subjected to a lot of criticism during his coaching stint. His outspoken nature and certain comments became a fodder for memes and jokes.
During Shastri’s regime, India's pace battery featuring Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Ishant Sharma, Mohammed Siraj and Umesh Yadav became one of the deadliest in the world.
Recently, veteran India pacer Ishant Sharma recalled how Shastri would use his own unique tactics to motivate the player and rile them up in the right way.
"Ravi bhai has had a lot of impact in our growth. The biggest was that he would always have positive things to say, even if we endured a poor match. Another one of his strengths is that he knows how to bring the best out of a player. Like with me, he knows that if he has to make me give by 100 percent, I need to get angry. So he would say things that hurt you, pinch you. It drove you mad," Ishant said on the Cricbuzz Specials Show 'The Rise of New India'.
After a promising start to his international career, Ishant Sharma faded over time. However, his spectacular rise impressed one and all during Shastri’s term as head coach.
At a time when the team management was inclined towards trying out youngsters, Shastri and his support staff backed Ishant and the lanky pacer didn’t let them down as his average, strike-rate improved significantly in the longest format of the game.
"He sensed what each player needed to hear and work things accordingly to channel that emotion. That's how he used to deal with an individual. However, after the match was over, he would get back to being a totally different person. He said things like 'Forget if you've had a bad match. Focus on the next game," Ishant added.