Ravi Shastri (Coach)
Ravi Shastri (born 27 May 1962) is the former head coach of the India national cricket team, a former Indian cricket team captain who now works as a cricket analyst. He participated in both Test matches and One Day Internationals between 1981 and 1992 as a player for the Indian national cricket team. He began his career as a left arm spin bowler, but throughout the course of his career, he evolved into a batting all-rounder.
Shastri was mostly defensive as a cricketer, using his signature “chapati shot” (a flick off the pads), but he had the ability to increase his strike rate when necessary. He had few options against quick bowling because of his above-average height (6′ 3″) and upright stance, but he was able to make good use of the lofted stroke against spin bowling. Ravi batted either as the opener or in the middle of the order.
His selection as Champion of Champions in the 1985 World Championship of Cricket in Australia represented the pinnacle of his professional career. On January 10, 1985, during the same season, he tied West Indian Garry Sobers‘s record of six sixes in an over of first-class cricket. He was seen as a future captain, but he led India in just one Test due to his reputation outside of cricket, injuries, and a propensity to falter when it mattered most.
Early & Personal Lifestyle
Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri was born 27 May 1962 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Attended Don Bosco High School to study. He became serious about cricket as a teenager. Shastri, a player for Don Bosco (Matunga), advanced to the inter-school Giles Shield final in 1976 before falling to St Mary’s, a team that featured two future Ranji players in Shishir Hattiangadi and Jignesh Sanghani.
| Name | Ravi Shastri |
| Born | 27 May 1962 (age 60 years), Mumbai |
| Parent’s | M. Jayadratha Shastri, Lakshmi Shastri |
| Spouse | Ritu Singh |
| Occupation | Indian cricket coach |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Children | Aleka Shastri |
| Height | Feet Inches- 6′ 3” approx. |
| Weight | 90KG |
Don Bosco won the Giles Shield in 1977 for the first time in the school’s history because to Shastri’s leadership as captain. Ravi Shastri, His coach at school was B. D. Desai, a former player for Tatas and Dadar Union. The R. A. Podar College, where Shastri later studied commerce, produced several talented cricketers, despite the fact that Don Bosco was not traditionally a significant force in school cricket. Vasant Amladi and V. S. “Marshall” Patil in particular were crucial influences in Shastri’s growth as a cricket player.
Career
Domestic career
Ravi Shastri was chosen to play for the Bombay team in the Ranji Trophy during his final year at the junior college. He was then the youngest cricketer to play for Bombay at the age of 17 years, 292 days. In the 1980–81 season, a young Indian squad was slated to visit Pakistan. Shastri was abruptly added to the coaching camp by Hemu Adhikari, the national coach. Shastri was asked to captain the Indian Under-19 team after leading one of the two sides in a trial game. However, the tour was postponed. Later, the team travelled to Sri Lanka, where the games were regularly postponed due to weather.
In his first two Ranji seasons, his lone noteworthy performance was a bowling performance of 6-61 against Delhi in the 1979–80 Ranji final, which Bombay ultimately lost. The next year, while he was playing in Kanpur against Uttar Pradesh, he was called up to the team touring New Zealand to fill in for injured left arm spinner Dilip Doshi. The previous evening of the first Test, Shastri arrived in Wellington.
One of the greatest games in the annals of Indian domestic cricket, the Ranji final of 1984/85.
International career
Shastri rose from being the tenth batsman in the batting order to opening batsman in the eighteen months following his Test debut. In a review of his debut series, Wisden noted that “his calm, intelligent batting down in the order raised promise of his evolving into a useful all-rounder, and his fielding too was an advantage.” He batted in every position from one to 10 at the end of his career. He said that he neglected his bowling in favour of his batting. His performances demonstrated this. His numbers of 9-101 in the season-opening 1981 Irani Trophy, however, remained a competition record for almost 20 years.
Ravi Shastri was forced to start at the Oval against England in 1982 due to the failure of the normal openers Pranab Roy and Ghulam Parkar. He distinguished himself in that game by scoring 66 runs. He was unable to participate in four of the Test matches taking place in Pakistan due to a hand injury. At the last Test in Karachi, when he was once again forced to open against Imran Khan’s quick bowling (who was then at the height of his powers), he got his first Test hundred. Later, in Antigua, he scored another hundred against the West Indies. Indian Cricket was sufficiently impressed to state that, given enough time, he might develop into one of the top batsmen for the Indian side.
