Ravi Shastri’s stint as India’s head coach ended with the team’s underwhelming T20 World Cup 2021 campaign on Monday (November 8).
The Men in Blue registered a consolation nine-wicket victory over Namibia in Shastri’s last game as a coach. They finished the Super 12 stage with three wins from five matches but it wasn’t enough to book a place in the semi-final.
After the game, Shastri delivered a moving speech in the dressing room. He addressed the players and support staff members.
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"You guys as a team have over exceeded my expectations with the way you played. Over the last few years, you go across the globe, across all formats and beat everyone makes you one of the great teams that has played the game. Because results are there to be seen," Shastri said in a video posted on bcci.tv.
"Yes we didn't have a great tournament, we could have won one or two ICC tournaments which didn't happen but that is a sport. You will get another chance. You will be wiser, have more experience when the next opportunity comes," he added.
"In life, it's not about what you have accomplished but it is what you overcome. So what you have gone through in the last two years with COVID, the write-offs that happened -- everything, you go through all that and you become stronger in mind, tougher and ready to play the game at the highest level to compete and that's the best thing I like about this Indian cricket team," he concluded.
In the end of the video, Shastri could be seen hugging and greeting all the players and support staff.
Ravi Shastri had served the Indian team as a director from 2014 till 2016. He was made the full-time coach in 2017 before the BCCI re-appointed him in 2019.
Under Shastri, Team India did reasonably well, winning two Test series in Australia and a number of bilateral series in white-ball cricket. They were also leading the Test series 2-1 in England before the final Test was postponed due to COVID-19 scare in the visiting camp.
