Anil Kumble resigns: Ravi Shastri set to apply for chief coach's post

Bengaluru: The more things change in Indian cricket, the more it remains the same. Former all-rounder Ravi Shastri, who served as Team Director between Aug 2014 to April 2016 before being displaced by Anil Kumble, is back in the fray.

With Kumble opting to resign as head coach last week after Virat Kohli’s ‘perceived differences’ was out in the open, the BCCI, re-opened the application process for the coach last Friday.

It opened the door for Shastri’s comeback and on Tuesday, the outspoken cricketer-turned-commentator-turned director threw his hat in the ring, having famously said that the board needed to contact him if they needed him.

The situation gets intriguing as Shastri will have to be endorsed by the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. Last year, Ganguly’s biggest grouse against Shastri was that he didn’t appear in person and preferred a Skype interview while holidaying in Bangkok. To ensure there is no bad blood, the BCCI has indicated that interviews can be done either in person or by video conference!

Former skipper Ganguly, in a television interview appeared to bury the hatchet saying, the CAC will “consider the one who can win matches.” Looks like Shastri’s a shoo-in.