‘Many have spoken about Virat Kohli, I don’t wash dirty linen in public’ says Ravi Shastri;
Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has said that many people have already spoken about Virat Kohli stepping down as Test captain and it is not his task to get involved in gossip.
“Many people have already spoken about Virat Kohli and him stepping down as the captain. I do not have the time to get into gossip and get into details. I took a break after seven years in the game, I have been part of the team and I am very clear, that I do not wash dirty linen in public. The day I finished, it will be blank. I will not discuss any of my players on the public platforms, I have been very clear on this,” Shastri told ANI.
Kohli stepped down as Test captain after India lost the Test series against South Africa. India went on to lose the ODI series to the Proteas 0-3 in the end.
When asked about the series loss, Shastri said:
“To be honest, I did not watch the series. I did not even see a single ball. I saw the result as people talk it, but I did not see a single ball.”
Talking about the current Team India squad, Shastri said:
“How the standard can go down, you have been the number one Test team for five years. Nothing can be done, you cannot win every game. When you have a win ratio of 65 per cent, then what is there to worry about? You have lost one series, then all this talk?
Kohli holds the record for the most Test appearances as India’s captain (68), as well as the most Test victories by an Indian captain (40). In Test cricket, only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh have won more matches as captain than Kohli.
India won two Test series in Australia during Shastri’s term as head coach, and the team also advanced to the World Test Championship final (WTC).