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Cricket: Two Indian team playing different formats the way forward, opines Ravi Shastri

WION Web Team
New Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Jun 02, 2021, 08:10 PM IST
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Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri Photograph:(AFP)

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Indian head coach Ravi Shastri on Wednesday said that two Indian squads travelling to different venues at the same time for two different series could become a norm in the draining world of bio-secure bubbles wherein the cricketers are forced to live amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Indian head coach Ravi Shastri on Wednesday said that two Indian squads travelling to different venues at the same time for two different series could become a norm in the draining world of bio-secure bubbles wherein the cricketers are forced to live amid COVID-19 pandemic.

“Playing with two squads in different locations regularly is a possibility in the long run,” Shastri said in the pre-departure press conference.

The Virat Kohli-led Indian team is set to depart for their tour of the UK where they will play the ICC World Test Championship final before locking horns with England for a five-Test series. At the same time, the second-string Indian team will play Sri Lanka in a limited-overs series in July.

However, Shastri said that playing two different teams could also help T20 cricket to spread across the globe.

"Well you never know. At the moment it's happening because of the current situation and restriction in travel and things of that sort. But you never know. In the future if you want to expand the game, especially in the shorter of formats, then it could be the way to go,” said Shastri.

"You know, why not, when you have that much volume of cricketers and if you want to spread the T20 game, across the globe, then that could be the way ahead because if you're talking of Olympics in four years or eight years'' time, you need more countries to play the game. So that could be a way forward," he added.

Furthermore, captain Virat Kohli also echoed Shastri’s opinion as he said that playing regular cricket with quarantine and bio-bubble restriction in place, is a tough ask on players as it is difficult for them to stay motivated and find the right kind of mental space.

"With the current structure and the kind of structure that you're competing inside for a long period of time, it's very difficult for the players to stay motivated and find the right kind of mental space," said Kohli.

"You know just confined in one area and just doing the stuff, day in day out when you're dealing with high pressure situations. So, this (two squads) will definitely become a norm for the future," he added.

The final of World Test Championship between India and New Zealand is set to be played in Southampton from June 18.