“If I don't want to talk, I'll just go past” - Ravi Shastri shares his views on Virat Kohli-Sourav Ganguly handshake saga
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has shared his views on the alleged rift between Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly. Asked how he would deal with the situation, the former all-rounder said that it depends on his relationship with the person in question, adding that there is always room to grow up.
There have been reports of all not being well between Kohli and Ganguly since the former stepped down from India’s T20I captaincy in 2021. In recent developments, viral videos have hinted that the two did not shake hands after the IPL 2023 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC).
A day after the alleged incident, further reports claimed that Kohli had unfollowed Sourav Ganguly on the social media platform Instagram, after which Ganguly is also said to have unfollowed the former India captain.
During an interaction on ESPNCricinfo, the anchor, without taking any names, presented the situation to Shastri and asked him how he would tackle the same. He responded:
“Depends on what my relationship is. If I don't want to talk, I'll just go past. But at the end of it, when you go and sit down, you feel that there's always some room to grow up, no matter how old you are.”
Kohli unfollowed Ganguly on Instagram 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/vbkvx3lnCX
Although Shastri and Kohli formed a successful coach-captain combo, the Indian team failed to lift an ICC trophy during the duo’s tenure. Shastri’s stint as Team India's head coach ended after the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE.
“He's an India player in near future” - Shastri on Tilak Varma
During a conversation on ESPNcricinfo, Shastri also picked Tilak Varma as the standout player from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023. According to the 60-year-old, the young batter is a future Team India player. He commented:
“The standout player is Tilak Varma. I said in the second or third game of the commentary that he's an India player in near future. He will be banging that door down. He's got that all-round ability, not just to finish off at the end, but the clarity of thought as well. When he comes out to bat, what impresses me the most is his first 10 balls, he's not afraid to take his chances and back his strength.”
Do you see Tilak Varma in a different blue? 🇮🇳
#IPL2023 https://t.co/vGQPGghFng
Having made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians last season, Varma has notched up 614 runs in 20 matches at an average of 38.38 and a strike rate of 138.91.