ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Ravi Shastri Breaks His Silence On the 2016 Controversy With Sourav Ganguly

Ravi Shastri exclusively spoke to The Republic after his tenure as the head coach of the Indian cricket team ended after the T20 World Cup. India made a league stage exit from the tournament losing their first two games against Pakistan and New Zealand. Rahul Dravid will take over from Shastri as the head coach. His first assignment will be the upcoming T20I and Test series against the Kiwis at home. 

While talking to Arnab Goswami for the Republic, Ravi Shastri made it clear that there is no rift between him and Sourav Ganguly anymore. He further said that it is the media that requires the ‘masala and bhelpuri’ stories and he has nothing to deal with that. 

“He (Sourav Ganguly) is my buddy. That is again nice Bhelpuri and Masala for the media. I have said that time and time again. Yes, he has his views. At times, there might be a clash. But listen I have known Sourav from a very young age,” Shastri said to The Republic. 

Ravi Shastri further broke his silence on his war of words with Sourav Ganguly in 2016. That year Anil Kumble pipped Ravi Shastri to the position of the head coach. However, Kumble’s stay was a short one as Ravi Shastri again took over the team after India lost the final of the ICC Champions Trophy under Kumble ane he was removed from the position. 

Apparently, the CAC committee comprised Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, and Sourav Ganguly. However, when Shastri’s turn came, Ganguly wasn’t presented. This irked the former Indian all-rounder as he called Ganguly’s action ‘disrespectful’ back then.

I am a guy who can let things go very easily: Ravi Shastri

Shastri then spoke about it in detail and shared what exactly happened in the interview. 

“The reason I said it was because there was a meeting in Calcutta and I was on a Zoom call from outside. And the committee was Tendulkar, Laxman and Ganguly. So when my interview came up, Ganguly was missing. He was not in that interview. That’s the reason why I thought it was disrespectful and I have every right to say it,”

“I am a guy who can let things go very easily. I am not the kind of guy who keeps anything inside and waits for the day when I can jump on that person or something” Shastri concluded saying.