T20 World Cup 2021: “There should not be any speculation about his exit” - Murali Kartik feels Ravi Shastri’s decision to quit must be respected

Former India left-arm spinner Murali Kartik feels there is unnecessary speculation over the reasons behind Ravi Shastri’s decision to quit as head coach after the T20 World Cup 2021. Kartik stated that, coach or not, Shastri will always back India to win.

According to media reports, India’s entire coaching set-up is set to be overhauled following the conclusion of the upcoming T20 World Cup. Thus, apart from a new head coach, India could also witness changes in personnel with regards to batting coach, bowling coach and fielding coach.

In an interaction on India TV, Kartik said he found some of the discussions and speculation surrounding Shastri’s decision to quit rather disappointing. He commented:

“First of all, what information I have is that he didn't apply again (for the coach’s role), although is eligible to apply again for the same. There should not be any speculation about his exit because then we are looking at his intention in a wrong way. Any coach, whether it is his first day or his last day, would want the team to win.”

Praising Shastri’s personality, the former cricketer added:

“Speaking of Ravi (bhai), whether he is in the commentary box or in a coaching position, he will always want India to win. There is no doubt about that.”

Shastri took over as Team India coach in 2017, after Anil Kumble resigned following his apparent fallout with captain Virat Kohli. The 59-year-old’s tenure will come to an end after the T20 World Cup.

“He would want to leave on a high note” - Maninder Singh on Ravi Shastri

Get to know about the T20 World Cup 2021 format here.

Maninder Singh, another former Indian left-arm spinner, feels there will be no decrease in Shastri’s motivation level during the T20 World Cup.

On the contrary, he opined that the coach will be desperate to leave on an ultimate high. Singh explained:

“As far as I know Ravi Shastri, there is going to be no decrease in his motivation level. He would want to leave on a high note by winning the event, so people will remember that in his last assignment as coach India won the T20 World Cup. This is the kind of mindset that he has. He has played at the high level and, if you look at his coaching stint, he has delivered very good results. So I feel that he would like to walk away from the role on a real high.”

Along with Shastri, former India captain MS Dhoni will mentor the team at the T20 World Cup. Virat Kohli will also be stepping down as T20 captain after the tournament.