Ravi Shastri set to coach Indian cricket team: Report

The Indian national cricket team is set to get a new coach after the current Bangladesh tour, and in all likelihood, it will be Ravi Shastri. According to a report in The Hindustan Times newspaper, if the appointment happens, Shastri, the current team director, will take home a cool Rs 7 crore annually, becoming the highest paid cricket coach in the world.

Shastri, a former cricketer who has played for the national team in both Tests and one-day internationals, will also become the first Indian coach after Kapil Dev handed over the coach’s cap to John Wright in 2000. The newspaper also reported that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) stopped looking for a successor to Duncan Fletcher, the current coach of Team India, after Virat Kohli expressed a desire to see Shastri in that role.

While earlier reports had also suggested that former India captain Saurav Ganguly was a serious contender for the position, Shastri had, at press conference before the Bangladesh tour, strongly hinted at his interest in playing the coach’s role, as well as staying on for a longer stint with the team.

The all-rounder has already served a Rs 4 crore-a-year contract as TV commentator for BCCI, and was getting paid Rs 6 crore annually as team director through the recently-concluded ICC World Cup 2015.