Indian national cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri is desperate to win ICC tournaments in his ongoing coaching tenure.
Indian cricket has shined in the 21st century as they have won four ICC trophies in this period – one under the captaincy of Sourav Ganguly (2002) and three under the leadership of MS Dhoni (2007, 2011 and 2013). Though India have maintained their consistent performances in international cricket, they have failed to win any ICC trophies from 2014.
In between these last five years, Indian men’s national cricket team has played four ICC tournaments. Out of these four tournaments, India finished once as the runners-up (ICC Champions Trophy 2017) while they lost the other three semi-finals. During Ravi Shastri’s coaching term, India have played only one ICC tournament – ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 where they lost the semi-final against New Zealand.
This team will go down in the history of Indian cricket world cricket as one of the best teams of the century – Ravi Shastri
Ravi Shastri was the member of the 1983 World Cup-winning Indian team and Player of the Tournament of 1985 World Championship of Cricket-winning Indian team. Mentioning those successes during his cricket career, Ravi Shastri has claimed that he has an obsession with winning ICC tournaments. He believes that the present Indian team will be one of the best teams of this century, and he further added that they are not far away from this goal.
Ravi Shastri told India Today, “Huge (ICC tournament obsession). I am a winner man! I have been part of a World Cup-winning team. I have been part of a World Championship team that won in 1985. I am a coach of an Indian Test team that has been No. 1 for the last 3-4 years. I like to win. Yes. That one event. I will chase that with my team.
“It’s an obsession for me. I am going to chase it with my team. This team will go down in the history of Indian cricket world cricket as one of the best teams of the century. We are already there. We are going to chase that (ICC Tournament). That will be the cherry on the cake.
“If you’re saying, it’s an obsession. It’s a bloody obsession.”
According to the present contract, Ravi Shastri can continue the role of Indian head coach till the end of ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, which India will host. Also, the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 is around ten months away to begin in Australia. Apart from winning these ICC tournaments, Shastri’s ultimate goal is to build up the Indian team as the most consistent side in international cricket.
He said, “(Ultimate aim is to) strive for consistency. To be able to go out there day in and day out and repeat things in a manner that people should come and watch this team.”
On Sunday (15th December), Ravi Shastri’s Indian boys will play the first ODI of the three-match home ODI series against Windies at Chennai.