ravi shastri

"I think..." - Monty Panesar backs this Indian legend for England coach role after England's dismal performance in ongoing Ashes 2025-26

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 17:07:29 GMT

The England team’s terrible Ashes 2025–26 performance has brought the coach Brendon McCullum into the limelight. There is a lot of speculation regarding the future of the much-discussed ‘Bazball’ playing style. The series was lost in just 11 days, and with the score at 0-3 and two Tests left, the team led by Ben Stokes has been completely outclassed in all areas by Australia.

Monty Panesar brings up Ravi Shastri as the one who can help England solve the Australian problem

Meanwhile, the dust has not settled yet, and the former England player Monty Panesar has put a rather surprising but at the same time very attractive name on the table: Ravi Shastri. During his conversation with journalist Ravi Bisht on YouTube, Panesar insisted that Shastri's acknowledged ability to defeat Australia was what made him a perfect choice to pull England out of their present predicament.

“You have to question who clearly knows how to beat Australia,” said Panesar. “What are the ways to mentally, physically, and tactically exploit their strengths? I think Ravi Shastri must be the next head coach of England.”

ALSO SEE: Watch: India's Women's World Cup 2025 winning team enjoys at The Great India Kapil Sharma Show as video goes viral

The credentials of Shastri are tough to overlook. He was the captain behind the two famous Test series wins in Australia during India’s heydays, 2018–19 and again in 2020–21, while he was the India head coach. The latter victory, which was attained in spite of injuries and the notorious 36 all out in Adelaide, has been described as one of India’s greatest overseas accomplishments.

Bazball is at a turning point as McCullum faces the consequence of the Ashes collapse

McCullum, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s choice in 2022, first made the Test team of England a different character. Together with Stokes, he took the team to 10 victories in their first 11 matches, bringing back faith and combativeness. But the victory has now turned to a draw. England has been unable to win high-profile series against Australia and India and has lost 16 of the last 33 Tests.

McCullum has, however, been criticized, and has still kept saying he is not the one to decide about his future. He is under contract until the 2027 ODI World Cup, and he keeps insisting he is still motivated, calling the England role “a pretty good gig.”

With the Ashes already lost and the pressure mounting, the ECB is faced with a crucial decision. The choice between continuing with the Bazball approach or seeking a tough tactician like Shastri could determine the course of England's red-ball cricket for many years.

Monty Panesar suggests former successful Indian coach's name to become next England coach

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 02:12:00 GMT

While English cricket is in deep concern after already suffering the away Ashes Trophy (2025-26) as they lost the first three games out of the five matches and two matches are yet to be played, former English cricketer Monty Panesar suggested the name of a former successful Indian head coach for the next English coach context.

English head coach Brendon McCullum and his fearless "Bazball" have now been massively criticised due to very irregular performances, which have now shifted more towards losing results. Despite strong criticism for a long time, there have been hardly any significant changes in the game strategy, which raises the question of the maturity of the coaching and leadership strategy in the English team.

While it was expected to be a tight contest for the Ashes 2025-26 in Australia, at least from some English cricket experts, we have majorly experienced the immature performance from the English side, as Australia have strongly won the series with two matches yet to be played. Moreover, the hosts Aussies have missed some of their crucial players, but the visitors hardly put any significant challenges.

I think Ravi Shastri should become England’s next head coach: Monty Panesar

Former English spinner Monty Panesar pointed out that the English team needed an experienced coach who knew Australian cricket. He suggested the name of the former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri.

Panesar told journalist Ravi Bisht, “You have to think: who exactly knows how to beat Australia? How do you take advantage of Australia’s weaknesses, mentally, physically, and tactically? I think Ravi Shastri should become England’s next head coach.”

India with coach Ravi Shastri won two Test series in Australia

Under the head coach Ravi Shastri, India won back-to-back Border-Gavaskar Trophies in Australia, in the 2018-19 and 2020-21 seasons. These are the only times when India won any Test series in Australia.

Watch: “Don’t make fun of…”- Ravi Shastri attacks Gautam Gambhir on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s ODI future

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:05:52 GMT

The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, requested the selectors and the management of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to leave Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s ODI future, besides warning them of the consequences of messing with the giants of the game. Rohit and Kohli had been facing the heat of performing heading into the three-match ODI series against South Africa at home.

Kohli is the second leading run-getter of the ODI format with 14557 runs in 296 innings at an average of 58.46, thanks to 53 centuries and 76 fifties at the best score of 183. Meanwhile, Rohit Shama has clubbed 11516 runs, scoring 33 centuries and 61 fifties, to find the ninth place in the same list.

“These two are grandfathers. White-ball giants, toh aise players ke saath aap masti mat karo yaar (don’t needle them). Agar unka dimaag theek ho gaya na, and sahi button dabaaye na, sab aaju-baaju nikal jayenge (If their brains get fixed and they press the right button, everyone will run for cover.” Ravi Shastri expressed in an interaction on Prabhat Khabar.

Ravi Shastri cooks Gautam Gambhir on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future

Shastri was the architect of the golden era of the Indian cricket team, a phase between 2017 and 2021, when he was the head coach of the Blue Brigade as they were invincible in both the red-ball and white-ball formats of the game.

Watch the video here:

Shastri cooked GG - AA combo! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/y2n2pGx1eS
— Amit T (@amittalwalkar) December 10, 2025

“You can’t buy experience from the market outside. One is a master chaser; the other one has three double centuries in ODI cricket.” Shastri added that Kohli and Rohit are irreplaceable as the veteran will be back in action during the upcoming three-match ODI series at home against New Zealand at the start of 2026.

Kohli finished the recent Protea series with 302 runs in three innings, thanks to two centuries and one unbeaten half-century. On the other hand, Rohit celebrated two fifties in his old aggressive rhythm as the hosts completed a 2-1 series victory.

Watch: “Not that bad side…”- Ravi Shastri thrashes Gautam Gambhir’s coaching for IND vs SA 2nd Test defeat

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 11:00:46 GMT

Since India’s 0-2 Test series defeat against South Africa at home, India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has been under tremendous pressure. It has been his second red-ball series whitewash in successive years, having already experienced such a feat in 2024 against the New Zealand side when they lost by 2-0.

The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, however, went after the players for their inability to play spin despite growing up in these conditions from childhood. At one point, they were 100/1 before falling to 130/7 during the second Guwahati Test. He reckoned that it would be important for the players to take responsibility.

“Now you tell me- the scorecard reads 100/1 in the recent Test match that just happened in Guwahati. Suddenly, you become 130/7. This is not a bad team. They have so much talent in them. So, the players will also need to take responsibility. You have been playing spin since your childhood.” Shastri expressed in a podcast.

Watch: Ravi Shastri asks players to take responsibility for IND vs SA Guwahati Test defeat

Shastri shed light on how he would take full accountability for the Test series defeat. Gambhir, during the post-match conference, found himself under the bus regarding the questions on his future as the head coach. He addressed that it would be up to the BCCI, besides noting his success in the position in the last few months.

Finally shastri ji thrashed gambhir 🔥 pic.twitter.com/LpJGEklsTb
— 𝐊𝐨𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭!𝟎𝐧_👑🚩 (@bholination) December 1, 2025

“I am not saving anyone (regarding whether he was trying to save the current head coach- Gautam Gamhir). If that had happened to me, I would have taken full accountability. But I wouldn’t have left the players in the team meeting.” Shastri added.

“And yes, people can keep forgetting about it. I’m the same guy who got results in England as well, with a young team. And I’m sure you guys will forget very soon, because a lot of people keep talking about New Zealand. And I’m the same guy who won the Champions Trophy and Asia Cup as well. Yes, this is a team that has less experience.” Gambhir said in the press conference.

Frequently Asked Questions

What triggered Ravi Shastri’s criticism?

He slammed the team’s batting collapse from 100/1 to 130/7, calling it unacceptable for a side strong against spin.

Does Shastri blame only the coach?

No, he blamed both players and the coach, saying players must take responsibility for poor batting.

Which tactics of Gambhir were questioned?

Shastri criticized the odd batting order changes and overuse of all-rounders instead of specialist batters.

Why did Shastri say India isn’t “that bad”?

He felt the team has talent but was mismanaged tactically and mentally in the match.

Is this a recurring issue under Gambhir?

Yes, this was India’s second consecutive Test series whitewash under Gambhir’s coaching.

“I Don’t Understand This Thought Process…” Ravi Shastri Slams Gambhir’s Selection Ideas Against South Africa

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 17:34:56 GMT

Ravi Shastri has strongly criticised Indian men’s head coach Gautam Gambhir for his poor selection choices in the ongoing two-Test series against South Africa. Shastri, one of India’s most successful coaches, said he has been trying to understand the thought process behind Gambhir’s decisions but has not been able to make sense of them.

Shastri’s criticism focused on India’s new obsession with all-rounders in Test cricket. Since Gambhir took charge last year, all-rounders like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana have grown in importance, while specialist batters like Sarfaraz Khan have been pushed aside.

In the South Africa series, India picked three spin all-rounders and even promoted one of them, Washington Sundar, to number three by dropping specialist batter Sai Sudharsan. After losing the first Test by 30 runs, India made a few changes in the second Test. They brought back Sudharsan to replace the injured Shubman Gill, but still depended heavily on all-rounders in the lower order, with Nitish Kumar Reddy taking Axar Patel’s place.

As Sudharsan returned to number three, Sundar moved back down to number eight.

Also Read -Why Smriti Mandhana has removed all wedding photos from her Instagram profile?

Shastri Questions Gambhir’s Selection Calls

“Just doesn’t make sense,” Shastri said on air during the second Test. “I don’t understand the thought process there. When they look back at the series, some of the selections… I’m still trying to understand what they were thinking. In Kolkata, one of the spinners (Sundar) bowled only one over. They could have picked another specialist batsman.

“Here again, Washington batted at three in the last Test and could have easily batted at four now that you already had a number three. He is not a number eight; he is far better than that,” he added.

Different Approach from Shastri and Dravid

Gautam Gambhir’s ideas are very different from Shastri and even his successor, Rahul Dravid. Both former coaches backed an aggressive Test style with five specialist batters, an attacking wicketkeeper, and five specialist bowlers. For them, the batting skills of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were a bonus, not the main plan.

Gambhir, however, is the only Indian coach to be whitewashed in a three-Test home series. On Monday, South Africa pushed India to 122/7 in the second innings while defending 489, putting huge pressure on both Rishabh Pant and Gambhir.

Former World Cup winner likely to replace Ajit Agarkar as chairman of the BCCI selection committee

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 13:22:39 GMT

In the meantime, while a part of Indian cricket fans are showing their displeasure with the Chairman of the BCCI selection committee, Ajit Agarkar, a massive update has come. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri is likely to become the next person to grace the chair.

Ajit Agarkar's current tenure as the BCCI's Chairman of the Selection Committee runs until June 2026. He was appointed to the role in July 2023, and his contract has been extended for another year from its original end date in 2025. During this time period, Team India emerged as the winners of the 2024 T20 World Cup and the 2025 Champions Trophy.

Despite these notable successes, a part of Indian cricket fans are furious over him because of some controversial player selection decisions. Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir also has been facing criticism from the fans for months now.

Ravi Shastri to become the Chief Selector after Ajit Agarkar?

According to the claims, Ravi Shastri can be the next chairman of the BCCI selection committee after Ajit Agarkar. Shastri, who is currently working as a commentator and cricket expert, was the head coach of Team India from 2017 to 2021. He was appointed in July 2017, and the contract was extended in 2019. After the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021, his contract ended.

Under this coaching team, India gained numerous successes, including winning the Test series in Australia (2018-19) for the first time, reaching the semi-finals of the 2019 ICC ODI World Cup, and winning the Asia Cup 2018. Shastri’s commanding presence in the dressing room played a crucial role in fostering belief and resilience within the team. During his cricket-playing days, Shastri won the historic 1983 World Cup. Shastri was a key player for India in this victorious campaign. He played a total of 5 matches in the tournament.

“Enough class…”- Ravi Shastri recalls how Australia planned to sledge Sachin Tendulkar

Fri, 07 Nov 2025 10:29:10 GMT

The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, recalled one of the matches against Australia at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground when he faced several sledges from the opposition along with former state and national team-mate, Sachin Tendulkar. Shastri revealed that when Australia tried to go after Tendulkar, the latter was prepared for a response.

Shastri recalled that Sachin Tendulkar planned to give it back to Australia in the same manner, while the former head coach suggested that Tendulkar shut up and reply with his batting.

“I remember one at the SCG. It was Sachin's first tour. I had just reached a hundred, and Sachin had just come to bat. And he was being sledged by the Waugh brothers (Steve and Mark). 'You little this, you little that'. And Mike Whitney had come on to the field as a 12th man. I was having a pow-pow with Allan Border until I reached my 100. He took the ball in his hand and said, 'Get back into your crease; I'll break your head'. I turned around there.” Shastri expressed at the Summer of Cricket Lunch hosted by Cricket ACT.

Ravi Shastri recalls Sachin Tendulkar’s advice to reply to Australia’s sledging

Tendulkar has played 110 games against Australia, where he scored 6707 runs with the help of 20 centuries and 31 half-centuries at the best score of 241* at an average of nearly 50.

“There were mics, and you could be fined. So I went to the centre of the pitch and I shouted across the SCG, 'Hey Mike! If you can claim to throw as well as you can bowl, you wouldn't be the 12th man of Australia. And that was it. Sachin came to me and said, 'Wait till I get to my hundred. I will also give them some of this. Shastri reckoned.

“I told Sachin, 'You shut up. You've got enough class; your bat will do the talking. Let me do the talking. And from 100 to 200, there wasn't a word, but at the end of the game, they were the first guys in the dressing room with a beer. Play it hard. You've got to be competitive. That's what the crowd respects. That's what the opposition respects.” The former Indian spinner added.

“Get some form quickly…”- Ravi Shastri warns Virat Kohli post successive ducks in ODIs against Australia

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:38:29 GMT

The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, has warned the batting legend and former captain, Virat Kohli, after the latter got out on two consecutive ducks in the first two ODIs of the three-match series against Australia down under. It hasn’t marked a strong start to the new era of Indian ODI cricket under Shubman Gill’s captaincy, as they have started their plan for the upcoming 2027 World Cup.

Shastri told Fox Sports that the next season of the 50-over World Cup was a long way off for Virat Kohli, who has now recorded eight-ball and four-ball ducks against Australia at the Optus Stadium and the Adelaide Oval.

“He’ll have to get some form pretty quickly. The competition for places is so intense in India in white-ball cricket that no one is going to relax, whether it’s Virat, Rohit, or anyone in the team. Times have changed significantly over the last seven months in Indian cricket, which has been undergoing a transition phase.” Shastri expressed during the interaction on Fox Sports.

Ravi Shastri advises Virat Kohli after consecutive ducks against Australia down under

In the opening game of the series, Kohli got out on zero as he mistimed the drive against Mitchell Starc into the hands of the backward point fielder. The right-handed batter, in Adelaide, missed the straight ball from Xavier Bartlett and got beaten on the inside edge to be dismissed on leg before the stumps for a four-ball duck.

“And with an abundance of options to choose from, no single player is a certainty across formats anymore, not even the legendary Kohli. In the ODI set-up, he already has the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma, and Abhishek Sharma breathing down his neck.” Shastri addressed in the video.

“It’s not going to be easy; there is competition. He’s missed out again today; he was a little tentative with his footwork. It doesn’t happen often; his record in one-day cricket is phenomenal, so for him to get two ducks on the trot, he’ll be disappointed.” The former Indian head coach concluded on Fox Sports that the third and final ODI will take place on October 25 in Sydney.

[WATCH] Ravi Shastri shares his top 5 Indian ODI players of all-time

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 15:11:51 GMT

The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, has picked his top five Indian players from the one-day internationals of all time. He went with Virat Kohli at the top, followed by the leading run-getter in the history of the format, Sachin Tendulkar. The inaugural World Cup-winning captain of the Blue Brigade, Kapil Dev, finds himself at three with MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma taking the last two places.

Tendulkar smashed 18426 runs in 452 innings at an average of 44.83 and a strike rate of 86.23 with the help of 49 centuries, while Virat Kohli is second on the list with 14181 runs in 292 innings at an average of 57.41. Shastri revealed the reason for not keeping Jasprit Bumrah among the top five in the list.

“I will go with these five, and the only reason I haven’t put Bumrah there is because he has another three to four years with him. These players, you know, or most of them are coming to the fag end of their career. They played for over a decade; some played for over a decade and a half. So, it’s tough. There are so many good players of the format looking back.”

Watch: Ravi Shastri picks Virat Kohli as number one ODI player of India

Rohit is third on the list of most runs for India in the ODIs, thanks to 11249 runs in 267 innings at an average of 48.69 and a strike rate of 92.62 with 32 centuries and 59 fifties at the best score of 264 runs. On the other hand, Kapil Dev has bagged 253 wickets in 221 ODI innings at an average of 27.45.

Ravi Shastri shares his top 5 Indian ODI players. Do you agree? 🤔👀

Catch #AUSvIND only on Fox Cricket, included on Kayo Sports! pic.twitter.com/h4FEgZQw04
— Kayo Sports (@kayosports) October 23, 2025

“But these are the standout players for me. You know, their contributions- especially to World Cups. There are two World Cup-winning captains. Barring Rohit Sharma, they all have won the World Cups. But can’t take Rohit out of the list. He has three double hundreds, over 11000 runs, and is number three of all-time run-getters. And all of them are genuine match winners.” Shastri addressed the interaction.

Dhoni, on the other hand, has done tremendously well. Winning the World Cup 2011 and the Champions Trophy 2025, besides collecting 10599 runs in 294 innings at an average of 39.15 and a strike rate of 87.13.

IND vs AUS 2025: Complete Commentators & Presenters List Featuring Suresh Raina, Ravi Shastri

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 23:11:18 GMT

India’s upcoming tour of Australia in 2025 will feature a full white-ball schedule, including three ODIs and five T20Is. The series begins with the ODI opener in Perth on Sunday, October 19, setting the stage for a thrilling contest between the two sides.

The ODI leg of the tour will see the return of India’s senior stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, marking their first appearances in international cricket this season. Additionally, the series will be the debut leadership assignment for Shubman Gill as India’s new ODI captain, taking over the reins from Rohit.

Following the 50-over matches, India and Australia will face off in a five-match T20I series, starting October 29 in Canberra. Fans in India can catch all eight white-ball fixtures live on Star Sports, with online streaming available via the JioHotstar app and website, ensuring supporters don’t miss any action from Down Under.

IND vs AUS 2025: Commentary Team in English, Hindi, Regional Languages:

On October 15, Star Sports announced the complete commentary lineup for the India-Australia tour. The panel features former Indian stars like Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan, and Ravi Shastri, along with ex-Australians including Matthew Hayden and David Warner.

Star Sports will telecast the IND vs AUS 2025 series in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. Fans can enjoy commentary and insights in their preferred language, with a full lineup of presenters and commentators covering all matches across the network.

English Commentary Panel:

Ravi Shastri, Adam Gilchrist, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Robin Uthappa, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Mark Waugh, David Warner, Abhinav Mukund.

Hindi Commentary Panel:

Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel, Jatin Sapru, Aakash Chopra, Varun Aaron, Abhishek Nayar, Anant Tyagi.

Telugu Commentary Panel:

MSK Prasad, Venugopal Rao, Kalyan Krishna, Vindhya Vishaka, Kaushik NC, Suman Tirumalasetti, Ashish Reddy, Akshath Reddy, Prathyusha Sadhu.

Tamil Commentary Panel:

Kris Srikkanth, Sadagopan Ramesh, Sridharan Sriram, Bhavna Balakrishnan, Sameena Anwar, Muthu Pradeep, S Badrinath, Anirudha Srikkanth, Abhinav Mukund, KB Arun Karthik, Nanee, Ashwath Mukunthan.

Kannada Commentary Panel:

Vijay Bharadwaj, Vinay Kumar, Srinivas Murthy, Kiran Srinivas, Madhu Mailankody, Krishnappa Gowtham, Pavan Deshpande, Bharat Chipli, Sumesh Goni, Reena DSouza.

India vs Australia 2025 schedule
1st ODI	Ind vs Aus	Perth	October 19, 2025
2nd ODI	Ind vs Aus	Adelaide	October 23, 2025
3rd ODI	Ind vs Aus	Sydney	October 25, 2025
1st T20I	Ind vs Aus	Canberra	October 29, 2025
2nd T20I	Ind vs Aus	Melbourne	October 31, 2025
3rd T20I	Ind vs Aus	Hobart	November 2, 2025
4th T20I	Ind vs Aus	Gold Coast	November 6, 2025
5th T20I	Ind vs Aus	Brisbane	November 8, 2025