The T20 World Cup campaign for Team India is over. Indian team failed to qualify for the semifinals because of two bad performances in the initial matches against Pakistan and New Zealand. Though after the first two matches, India bounced back and played with positive intent. The team won all the remaining three games against Afghanistan, Scotland, and Namibia, respectively. However, Team India was knocked out of the World Cup after Afghanistan lost to New Zealand on Saturday. India’s head coach Ravi Shastri said that Indian players are mentally and physically drained due to bio-bubble. There should be a bigger gap between the IPL and T20 World Cup.
Ravi Shastri will step down as India’s head coach at the end of the T20 World Cup. Ahead of the final match of India, Ravi Shastri talks to Star Sports and says,
“I am mentally drained but I expect that at my age. These guys are physically and mentally drained, six months in a bubble and we would have ideally liked a bigger gap between the IPL and the World Cup.”
Ravi Shastri added,
“It’s when the big games come and when the pressure hits you – you are not that switched on as you should be. And it’s not an excuse. We take defeat because we are not scared of losing. Because in trying to win, you will lose a game. Here we didn’t try to win because that X-factor was missing.”
Talking about the achievements, Ravi Shastri said that there are many. He added,
“Across all formats, there are plenty [of gains]. But I would say winning in red-ball cricket across the globe – in West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, we’re leading the series, it could be the longest lead in the history of cricket because the next Test is next year but I’ll take that. I’ll settle for that for 12 months. But to go across and beat all these sides and then every team in white-ball cricket, whether it’s Twenty20 or fifty-over, we’ve beaten sides in their den which was my endeavor and the team’s endeavor because you were always big bullies at home but when you had to travel outside you didn’t have the goods. But this team has shown they have more.”
Rahul Dravid will take over from Ravi Shastri as India’s head coach. Ravi Shastri said that he believed will ‘only raise the bar.’ Ravi Shastri said,
“In Rahul Dravid, they’ve got a guy who has inherited a great team and I think with his experience, he can only raise the bar in time to come. There are still players here who will play for another 3-4 years which is very important. It is not a team in transition and that’ll make the biggest difference.”
Virat Kohli also stepped down from the captaincy for T20Is. India will host New Zealand for 3 T20Is followed by 2 Tests starting November 17th with Rahul Dravid as a coach with the new captain.
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