Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made a special gesture for outgoing coach Ravi Shastri after India’s exit from the ongoing T20 World Cup in the UAE. India failed to make it to the semi-finals for the first time since 2012 after losing back to back games against Pakistan and New Zealand. India won their final three games by big margin to end their campaign on a high.
Ravi Shastri before India’s final game against Namibia spoke about how proud he was with the way the team has performed under him in different formats of the game.
“It (journey) has been fantastic. When I took this job, I said in my mind I want to make a difference and I think I have. Sometimes in life, it’s not all about what you accomplish, it’s what you overcome. And what these guys have overcome over the last five years, the way they have travelled across the globe and performed in every part of the globe in all formats of the game will make this – irrespective of what’s happened here – as one of the great teams in the history of the game. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind. It’s unfortunate that we are out of this tournament but that takes nothing away from a great side” said Shastri ahead of India’s game against Namibia.
Meanwhile, after the game, Rohit and Kohli gave their signed bats as a mark of respect for Ravi Shastri. Both the players were central figures of the team that Shastri took charge of. Now with the Shastri-Kohli era coming to an end, the Rohit-Rahul era is waiting to begin.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma gifted their bat to Ravi Shastri. pic.twitter.com/BJd7rfQj5j
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) November 9, 2021
Virat Kohli also looked back at his career as India’s T20I skipper. He won 32 out of the 50 games he led India in the format.
“The guys have been fantastic, I know we haven’t got the results here but we have played some really good cricket. The guys have really made my work easier. The way we played the last three games, it’s a game of margins – T20 cricket these days. Two overs of attacking cricket at the top is what we were missing in the first two games. As I said, we weren’t brave enough in those games and in the group we were in, it was tough. A big thank you to all those guys (Ravi Shastri and his support staff). They have done a great job over the years, creating such a wonderful environment for the players. People loved to get back to the atmosphere. They have done a really great job” said Kohli.
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