Team India's outgoing head coach Ravi Shastri on Monday (November 8) claimed that Indian cricket team players are mentally and physically drained after staying in the bio-secure bubble for the last six months.
Virat Kohli-led India was knocked out of the World Cup on Sunday (November 7) after Afghanistan failed to defeat New Zealand. Even if the Men in Blue wins against Namibia, they would not be able to leapfrog New Zealand at the second position in Group 2 to make the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, ahead of his last match as India’s head coach Shastri said the team’s players are mentally and physically drained due to bio-bubble and that there should be a bigger gap between the IPL and T20 World Cup.
"I am mentally drained but I expect that at my age. These guys are physically and mentally drained, six months in a bubble and we would have ideally liked a bigger gap between the IPL and the World Cup," said Shastri.
"It's when the big games come and when the pressure hits you - you are not that switched on as you should be. And it's not an excuse. We take defeat because we are not scared of losing. Because in trying to win, you will lose a game. Here we didn't try to win because that X-factor was missing," he added.
Interestingly, Rahul Dravid will take over from Shastri and the former India skipper's first assignment would be the home T20I and Test series against New Zealand, beginning November 17.
Shastri said that Dravid has inherited a great team and he can only raise the bar as the man in charge.
"In Rahul Dravid, they've got a guy who has inherited a great team and I think with his experience, he can only raise the bar in time to come. There are still players here who will play for another 3-4 years which is very important. It is not a team in transition and that'll make the biggest difference," Shastri said ahead of the India vs Namibia match in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2021.
