Newly appointed head coach Ravi Shastri backed the current Indian team to become the best in the world across all formats in his first interview after his appointment to India Today on Wednesday.
“This team is No 1 in the world in Tests, it has the potential to be No 1 across all formats. It can be a better Test team than any Indian team we have had. This is a team that can travel well,” said the former Indian cricketer. “There is a battery of pacers which can do well in all conditions. Their age is such that they are playing at the right time.”
Shastri also brushed off talk that the rift between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble would have a lingering effect. “I am a guy who doesn’t carry baggage. What happens in the past, in those 12 months, not my problem. I will start afresh and take it forward,” he said.
He also added: “Kohl is a champion player and he hasn’t reached his peak. The next five-six years will define the real Virat Kohli”.
There was much speculation that Shastri was given the job as he enjoyed the confidence of the dressing room. The 55-year-old stated he enjoyed his time in the dressing room and said he welcomed the fresh inputs which the other members of the coaching team, Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid would add.
Finally, he brushed off any lingering rift with Sourav Ganguly with whom he had a fallout last year, during the application process. “We are two former captains, there will be arguments. Everyone is not on the same page all the time. But there is mutual respect,” he said. “There were good questions asked and I answered. You’re looking at the bigger picture and the betterment of Indian cricket and that’s paramount. You need to do the best for Indian cricket.”
