'You never know...': Ravi Shastri drops major hint on possible stint as IPL coach

Ravi Shastri (Pic: AFP)

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri dropped a massive hint on a possible stint in a managerial position in the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

Shastri is well remembered for the impact he made as the head coach of the Indian men's team from 2017 to 2021. Under Shastri's reign, the Indian team added a feather in their cap with back-to-back Test series triumphs against Australia.

"Toota hai Gabba ka ghamand" became famous after India defeated Australia at their fortress The Gabba in 2021. Shastri was in the dressing room witnessing history. There has always been excitement among fans to see Shastri in a possible head coach role in the IPL.

"Not really. Not after doing India for 7 years. You never know what can come up in the future and how involved you might want to get," Shastri said when asked about coaching in IPL on Ravichandran Ashwin's YouTube channel ahead of DC's IPL 2024 encounter with LSG on Tuesday.

After his stint with the Men in Blue ended in 2021, Shastri returned to his life as a broadcaster. He is currently the voice in the commentary panel for the ongoing edition of the IPL 2024. His dynamic voice and his style of introducing teams during the toss have left an impression across various matches.

"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 when 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 added.

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Shastri didn't completely rule out the possibility of once again turning his career into a managerial role. But his focus would be to contribute to the sport by identifying and grooming young talent.

"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. It's not just the money part of it, but also the contributing factor. How you can get into the heads of the young kids and pass on the knowledge you have before you forget it yourself?" Shastri said.

"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. I will enjoy it because the spread is so much these days, they have complexes, they have language barriers and challenges culturally. And then get them together to play fearless cricket and ruthless cricket is my cup of tea. So never discount that, it would always be the case when you are handling youngsters," he added.

(With agency inputs)