Ravi Shastri

What if you had a player who would give it all and yet did not get the appreciation? That is perhaps the story of Ravi Shastri. In his playing days, Shastri was the stabilizing factor in India’s resurgence in the 80s. As a batsman, he could stonewall or attack at will. With the ball, he was in control and steady. Who can forget Ravi Shastri driving an Audi after winning the 1985 Benson and Hedges World Series Title in Australia? That image made Ravi Shastri the poster boy of Indian cricket. Yet, when he disappeared from the scene when he was still at his peak at 30 due to chronic knee injury, it was a sad way to go. But, it was his return as a commentator and as a cricket coach that proved to be a game-changer.

As a commentator, he was blunt, honest, and can be credited to giving the term ‘tracer bullet’ another edge altogether. Rewind to the Mike Denness controversy in South Africa and you could see Shastri at his aggressive best. When the Monkeygate scandal erupted, it was Shastri’s viewpoints that were closely followed. He never backed away from the fight even when he was in the wrong, as it was during the confrontation that he had with Nasser Hussain during the Trent Bridge Test in 2011 over India’s lack of DRS interest.

As coach and manager, he is responsible for making India one of the modern great sides in the world. As a manager, he took over at a time when Duncan Fletcher quit the Indian team after a string of poor away results. Shastri transformed India through his man-management skills and ensured India became a superpower. As a coach, he did not get the backing of some members in the BCCI. But, he charted his own course. Under his stewardship, India and Virat Kohli became the best team on the planet, securing series wins in Australia twice. Perhaps, the 2020/21 series win in Australia was a golden chapter in Indian cricket. India was without their ace players and injuries mounted. Yet, thanks to Shastri and skipper Ajinkya Rahane, India managed to not only beat Australia in a series but also breach the fortress of the Gabba.

In his playing days on the field and off it, Shastri has always been a blunt and honest player. India have relied on him when they were in crisis. Most often, he would drag them out of it. Haters would always point out that under Shastri, India did not win a single ICC event. But, there is no denying the fact that Shastri is one of the best coaches and an under-rated cricket player in his time.

When did Ravi Shastri make his International debut?

Ravi Shastri made his Test debut against New Zealand in Wellington in 1981. His ODI debut came in the same year. Against England in Ahmedabad 1981, Shastri was dubbed as the all-rounder India needed. His final matches came in India’s inaugural tour to South Africa in 1992.

Ravi Shastri in International Cricket

Be it in the middle order or opening, as a batsman, Ravi Shastri was gutsy. In the past, Shastri has acknowledged that he was never a talented player. He hung in and through sheer hard work, he managed to carve a niche among many of the star players at that time. In a team that had superstars like Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Madan Lal, Mohinder Amarnath, Yashpal Sharma, Roger Binny and Kris Srikkanth, Shastri managed t hold his own.

If one looks at his records in Australia, England, and the West Indies, it does not paint a bad picture. Shastri had a Test average of 77 in Australia and he also scored the first double century by an Indian player. It was in that same Sydney match where Sachin Tendulkar announced himself. All the attention was on Tendulkar, not on Shastri’s monumental feat. In the West Indies, he averaged 33 at a time when their bowlers were blowing batsmen out of the pitch. In England, he averaged 33 again. The fact that he got seven out of his 11 hundreds away from India made him one of the best players at that time.

As a bowler, Shastri had limited but effective success. His 151 wickets made him one of the all-rounders to get to the double of 1000 and 100 wickets. In ODIs, he struggled with the bat but was economical with the ball, having an economy rate of 4.21. Shastri was often accused of slow batting and his strike rate of 61 might be an indictment. But, he is one of the few players, apart from Gary Sobers, Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, and Kieron Pollard who have hit six sixes in one over. In 1986, Tilak Raj felt the full brunt of Shastri’s onslaught as he was hit for six sixes in one over.

Ravi Shastri List of Centuries

Ravi Shastri List of Test Centuries

Score	Opponent	Venue	Year	Fours	Sixes
206	Australia	Sydney	1992	17	2
187	England	The Oval	1990	23	0
142	England	Mumbai	1984	17	1
139	Pakistan	Faisalabad	1984	16	2
128	Pakistan	Karachi	1984	15	0
125	Pakistan	Jaipur	1987	8	1
121*	Australia	Mumbai	1986	9	6
111	England	Kolkata	1984	13	0
107	West Indies	Bridgetown	1989	12	0
102	West Indies	St John's	1983	5	0
100	England	Lord's	1990	12	1

Ravi Shastri List of ODI centuries

Score	Opponent	Venue	Year	Fours	Sixes
109	South Africa	Delhi	1991	11	0
102	Australia	Indore	1984	11	1
102	England	Cuttack	1984	6	1
101*	Sri Lanka	Nagpur	1990	12	1

Ravi Shastri List of Five Wicket Hauls

Ravi Shastri five-wicket hauls in Tests

Haul	Opponent	Venue	Year
5/75	Pakistan	Nagpur	1983
5/125	New Zealand	Auckland	1981

Ravi Shastri five-wicket haul in ODIs

Haul	Opponent	Venue	Year
5/15	Australia	Perth	1991

Ravi Shastri Net Worth and Endorsements

Ravi Shastri’s Net worth is USD 8 million or Rs 58 crores. His yearly cricket income is worth Rs 6 crore. He was also getting an annual salary of Rs 9 to 10 crore from the BCCI.

Ravi Shastri also is heavily involved in business deals. He launched a sports management and marketing agency named 'Sporting Beyond. In addition, Shastri owns a male hygiene brand named 23 Yards. It is in partnership with Ador Multi products. It has offerings like body wash, beard oil, shaving gel, deodorant, and sanitizer. He has invested lakhs in GreyCells Education Private Limited, an Indian educational institute.

What is Ravi Shastri’s Date of Birth and Place of Birth?

Ravi Shastri’s full name is Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri. He was born on May 27, 1962, in Mumbai. His star sign is Gemini.

What is the Educational Qualification of Ravi Shastri?

Ravi Shastri studied at Don Bosco School in Matunga. He later graduated in Commerce from RA Poddar College also in Matunga. As a teenager, he took to cricket seriously. Playing for Don Bosco (Matunga), Shastri reached the final of the 1976 inter-school Giles Shield, finally losing to St Mary's. The next year, under Shastri's captaincy, Don Bosco won the Giles Shield in 1977, the first time in the history of that school.

Ravi Shastri Parents and Family Details

Ravi Shastri is of mixed Marathi and Mangalorean descent. His father’s name is M Jayadritha Shastri and his mother’s name is Lakshmi. His father was a doctor who died at the age of 78 in 2007. His mother was a professor in National College, Bandra. He does not have any siblings.

Ravi Shastri House Details

Ravi Shastri purchased a home in Mumbai in 2001. From his humble beginnings in Navjivan Society in Mahim, he moved to South Mumbai where he has purchased a posh apartment. The estimated value of his house in Mumbai is Rs 11 crore. He also has an apartment in Alibaug, Maharashtra.

Ravi Shastri and his Luxurious Cars

Ravi Shastri owns a few cars that are luxurious in nature. Here is a list of the cars that he has

• Mercedes Benz

• Ford

• BMW

• Audi100

Ravi Shastri wife

Ravi Shastri married Ritu Singh in 1990. However, after 22 years of marriage, they filed for divorce. Apparently, prior to marrying Ritu Singh, it is alleged that Ravi Shastri had an affair with Bollywood star Amrita Singh. He was reportedly engaged but broke off.

Ravi Shastri daughter

Ravi Shastri has one daughter from his marriage with Ritu Singh. Her name is Aleka Shastri. She is 13 years old.

Ravi Shastri Records and Achievements

Here is the list of records achieved by Ravi Shastri

• Youngest cricketer to play for Bombay in the Ranji Trophy at the age of 17.

• In the 1981 Irani Trophy, he took 9/101 which was the best figures for a bowler in the tournament for 20 years.

• He holds the record for the fastest double century in First Class Cricket in India. He smashed 200 off 123 balls against Baroda in the West Zone Ranji Trophy match.

• Shastri held the record for the best haul by an Indian bowler in ODIs. He took 5/15 in a World Series Match in Australia.

What is the height and weight of Ravi Shastri?

Ravi Shastri’s height is six foot two inches and his weight is 92 kgs.

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