'Some motive behind': Ravi Shastri slams BCCI for not appointing him as India coach in 2016, takes indirect dig at Sourav Ganguly originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

  • Ravi Shastri says he believes "some motive" was behind the Cricket Advisory Committee overlooking him for the India head coach role in 2016.
  • The panel that picked Anil Kumble over Shastri included Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman.
  • Shastri has previously accused Ganguly directly of lobbying against him, a claim Ganguly has denied.
Ravi Shastri slams BCCI for not appointing him as India coach in 2016

Ravi Shastri has never fully made peace with how his first stint in charge of the Indian team ended, and he returned to the subject once again in a recent interview with Republic World. A decade on, the hurt in his voice remains unmistakable whenever the 2016 coaching decision comes up.

Shastri served as India's team director from 2014 to 2016, overseeing a turnaround that included a World Cup semi-final and a T20 World Cup semi-final.

When his term ended after the 2016 T20 World Cup, the newly formed Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman, chose Anil Kumble as head coach instead.

That decision has shaped much of the public narrative around Shastri's relationship with Ganguly ever since, and his latest comments suggest the sting has never fully gone away, even after he eventually returned to the role a year later.

MORE: Gambhir reportedly wants 32-year-old India pacer considered for New Zealand Tests

What Ravi Shastri said about being overlooked in 2016

Shastri laid out the timeline plainly before getting to the part that still clearly bothers him. "2014, I took over as the director of this side. When 2016 came, they said, "No, we don't want any director." Now you apply for a head coach position, and there should have been no reason why I should not have carried on with sheet merit," he said.

He was direct about what he believes actually happened behind the scenes. "So there was obviously some other reason, some motive behind why you were shafted out, okay? And that hurt me," Shastri said.

View this post on Instagram

He went further, describing it as one of the most painful moments of his entire career. "You know that hurt me amongst, if I look back at my career, that hurt me a lot, because you had give your heart and soul in getting the team to where it was, and you could see the fruits being delivered in a matter of time now. And then you had to go and sit out," he said.

Shastri closed by describing how he eventually moved past it. "So I said okay, that was a good experience for a year and a half, and it taught me a lot," he said, referring to his return to television commentary during his time away from the dugout.

MORE: Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns to Indian team: India's full squad for Hong Kong Sixes 2026 revealed

The history behind Shastri's indirect dig at Sourav Ganguly

This is not the first time Shastri has suggested something beyond merit decided the 2016 outcome. He publicly blamed Ganguly in the aftermath, specifically criticising his absence during a Skype interview as part of the selection process and describing the panel's approach as disrespectful.

Ganguly rejected that framing at the time just as directly. "If Ravi Shastri feels that Sourav Ganguly was responsible for him not being the India coach, he is living in a fool's world," he said in response.

Kumble's own tenure lasted just one year, ending after a reported breakdown in his relationship with captain Virat Kohli following India's 2017 Champions Trophy final defeat. The same CAC that had chosen Kumble over Shastri a year earlier then reversed course, appointing Shastri to the job he had originally wanted, a stint that went on to include series wins in Sri Lanka, South Africa, the West Indies, and Australia.

MORE: India T20I record under Laxman vs record under Gambhir

Why this feud has never really gone away

What makes Shastri's comments notable is less the specific allegation, which he has made before in various forms, and more the fact that it still carries this much weight for him years later, long after he eventually got the job anyway.

Being proven right by circumstance, with Kumble's own tenure ending in exactly the kind of captain-coach friction Shastri avoided, does not appear to have fully settled the matter for him.

Ganguly, for his part, has never conceded there was anything beyond cricketing judgement behind the 2016 decision. With both men now occupying very different roles in Indian cricket, Shastri in broadcasting and Ganguly having since served as BCCI president, the disagreement remains exactly where it was left eight years ago, unresolved and resurfacing every time either man is asked to revisit it.

To keep up to date with all the latest cricket news and share your opinion on the biggest topics visit our Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter) pages.