Sourav Ganguly believes Ravi Shastri is the right man for the job, but…

Mumbai: Sourav Ganguly believes that Ravi Shastri's re-appointment as Team India head coach is the right decision as the board did not have much of a choice. Ganguly believes that Shastri should repay the faith instilled in him by the board by winning some major trophies, something that he has not done until now.

Anil Kumble was elected Team India head coach back in 2016 beating Ravi Shastri, who had also applied for the position. Shastri had blamed Ganguly for his snub as the latter was a member of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) back then. A year later, in 2016, Ganguly was on the same panel that appointed Ravi Shastri in the coaching role.

Ganguly, speaking on Ravi Shastri’s re-appointment to Hindustan Times, said, “Ravi is the right choice. They didn’t have too many choices as not many had applied (for the coach’s job). Ravi has been doing this for five years and has now been given this responsibility for two more years. I don’t think anyone else in history has got such a long time with the team. He is the right choice, but now he has to repay the faith placed in him. He has two T20 World Cups coming up (in 2020 and 2021), and in such big tournaments, India needs to find ways to win.”

During Shastri’s tenure as head coach, India have had a stupendous record at home in Tests. But, it is their overseas record that is worrisome. Apart from the impressive win over the Aussies down under, Indian faced defeats away against South Africa and England. In the ICC World Cup 2019 too Indian reached till the semi-finals backed by impressive performances in the group stage. But, they were shown out by New Zealand.

Shastri’s best chance to get his hands on a major trophy would soon come with two back-to-back T20 World Cups in 2020 and 2021.