"No reason to remove Ravi Shastri as India coach" - Kapil Dev
Former Indian skipper Kapil Dev believes there is no reason to replace Ravi Shastri as India's head coach if he continues the progress that he has made so far. With Indian legend Rahul Dravid traveling as the head coach of the Indian team for the Sri Lankan tour, there has been debate about whether he should take over from Shastri.
While Dev feels grooming Dravid for the future is a good idea, he also reckons there is no urgent need to ask Ravi Shastri to step down. Shastri's man-management skills were lauded by many after India beat Australia in their own den. They have also made it to the 2019 World Cup semifinals and WTC final under him.
Speaking on the show 'Wah Cricket' on ABP news, Kapil Dev gave his opinion on the Indian head coach debate.
"If you’re trying to shape a new coach, there’s nothing wrong with it. Then again, if Ravi Shastri continues to do a good job, there’s no reason to remove him either. Only time will tell. Before that, I think it will put unnecessary pressure on our coaches and players."
Nothing wrong in youngsters getting opportunity: Kapil Dev
There is also talk about whether such a situation where India plays two teams is viable for the future. Kapil Dev feels this should not pose a problem. He believes that by playing two teams, the youngsters will get an opportunity to represent their country and showcase their talent.
However, the former Indian captain also wanted to stress on the fact that there shouldn't be a lot of pressure on the teams as a lot of cricket is being played these days.
“India have big bench strength. If players get the opportunity and India can assemble two teams that can claim to win in both England and Sri Lanka, there is nothing better. If the youngsters get the opportunity, there’s nothing wrong with it. But if it is up to the team management to decide whether they should apply such pressure on two teams simultaneously," Kapil Dev concluded.