Ravi Shastri said Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s appointment as mentor of the Indian cricket team for the T20 World Cup is a “great move” by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
In an interview with The Times of India, Shastri, the current head coach of the Indian team, said he was “absolutely thrilled” by Dhoni’s inclusion.
“The team couldn’t have asked for anything better. The BCCI has thought this out extremely well and put the plans in place. Having MS Dhoni in the dressing-room and the dugout will be a huge shot in the arm for the boys. It’s a great move,” said Shastri.
“We all know what experience he brings to the table. What more can the team ask for? When I first heard from the secretary, I was absolutely thrilled at the idea. In the end, it’s about India’s aspirations, not individuals. In that, we should look to put our best foot forward,” he added.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah had announced on Wednesday that former India captain Dhoni, who led the country to three ICC Trophies – the 2007 World T20, the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy – would join the Indian team for the this year’s T20 World Cup as mentor.
“(I) spoke to him (Dhoni) in Dubai. He agreed to be a mentor for World T20 only and I discussed with my colleagues and all are on the same page. I spoke to captain (Virat Kohli) and vice-captain (Rohit Sharma) and everyone agreed,” Shah had said.