"You don't rule that out"- Ravi Shastri opens up to Ashwin about possibility of coaching an IPL team
Ravi Shastri has claimed while speaking to Ravichandran Ashwin that the he hasn't ruled out the possibility of becoming the coach of an IPL team in the future. Shastri returned to broadcasting after being the coach of the Indian team from 2017 to 2021.
While the IPL has seen several star-studded Indian players take center stage, Shastri claimed that his focus would be on getting the best out of the youth. If he becomes a head coach, he would want to focus his energy on getting the best out of hidden gems.
Speaking to Ravichandran Ashwin on his YouTube channel, Ravi Shastri said about the prospect of him becoming an IPL coach:
"You don't rule that out. Once you have been involved with the game and played the game and you wanted to contribute to the youth, then that will always linger in your mind. If I ever go there, it will be precisely for that reason. Not to see the superstars carrying on the way they are, but to cultivate, identify and groom talent, and take them through the roof."
Shastri also shed light on the importance of passing on the knowledge he had as a coach to the youngsters as long as he was in touch with the know-how of the game.
Ravi Shastri on whether he wanted to become an IPL coach in 2021
Ravi Shastri's tenure as India's head coach ended after the 2021 T20 World Cup. Ravichandran Ashwin asked Shastri if the latter tried to be the coach of an IPL team almost immediately.
The former Indian coach was quick to dismiss the rumors, suggesting how the COVID period had taken a lot out of him as a coach and how he wanted to rejuvenate by getting back to broadcasting.
"You know, there is no doubting the experience you have and what you can bring to the table, but after 7 years with the Indian team, especially those times -- you were there -- the toughest time that game has seen since the World War II -- during Covid, quarantine and the bubbles, you just wanted ta break from the dugout, the dressing room and everything. The broadcasting and the mic gave me the freedom to express myself again. And have some fun," Shastri said.
Ravi Shastri was also a director for the Indian team for about eight months between India's tour of England and the 2015 World Cup.