Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev has backed Ravi Shastri to carry on his role as Team India’s head coach, saying there is no reason to remove the latter if he continues to yield positive results for the side.
Shastri's contract is due to end after the completion of T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE in October-November and speculations have been rife that BCCI may elevate current NCA head Rahul Dravid as coach.
Notably, Dravid is currently travelling with the national team for the white-ball tour to Sri Lanka while the Shastri is on the Test tour of England with the Virat Kohli-led side.
"I don't think there is any need to speak about it. Let this Sri Lanka series get over. We'll get to know the kind of performance our team has dished out," Kapil told ABP News.
"If you're trying to groom a new coach, there's nothing wrong with it. Then again, if Ravi Shastri continues to do a good job, there's no reason to remove him either. Only time will tell. Before that, I think it will put unnecessary pressure on our coaches and players," he added.
Indian team has won Test series twice in Australia with Shastri at the helm of affairs. Under him, India also qualified to the 2019 World Cup semi-final and the World Test Championship (WTC) final but lost to New Zealand in both the knockout games.
Commenting on two different Indian teams touring England and Sri Lanka simultaneously, Kapil said: "Indian team has big bench strength. If players get the opportunity and India can assemble two teams that can claim to win in both England and Sri Lanka, there is nothing better."
Team India will play three ODIs and T20Is each under the captaincy of veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan in Sri Lanka. There are many new faces in the squad with Devdutt Padikkal, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Nitish Rana, K Gowtham, and Chetan Sakariya receiving maiden India call-up.
"If the youngsters get the opportunity, there's nothing wrong with it. But if it is up to the team management to decide whether they should apply such pressure on two teams simultaneously," Kapil pointed out.
(With PTI inputs)
