Speaking exclusively at India Today's Inspiration program, Shastri did not rule out veteran MS Dhoni from making a return to the shortest format but stated that only the legendary glovesman could answer whether his body could withstand the rigours of international cricket after his self imposed break.
Shastri also strongly felt that India opener KL Rahul could be considered as a “serious keeping option” for next year’s T20 Word Cup amidst uncertainty over Dhoni's future and Rishabh Pant repeated failures in white ball cricket
“The rest would have done him a world of good, mentally. That mental fatigue would have gone away by now. If he decides to play, which he will because he will play the IPL, then he will start training with a very fresh mind. Then you have got to see form,” said Shastri, who has already said that no one should “fool around” if the legend decided to play the T20 World Cup.
“It is an absolute option. You got to see where your strength is. Tomorrow, there could be a couple of guys in the middle-order who are firing with unbelievable innings in the IPL. And then if you have a guy who can multi-task, who could be used at the top, because there’s some firepower at the back who are doing extremely well, then why not,” when asked if Rahul could be an option.
Just like skipper Virat Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma, Shastri also feels that too much is being spoken about Rishabh Pant.
“He doesn’t need to be spoken about as much as as he is spoken about now. No! He is young, give him time. In 5 years, if he doesn’t set the world on fire, then talk about it,” said Shastri, for whom winning an ICC tournament is a “bloody obsession”.
Asked what he expects from Rishabh Pant, Shastri said, “a bit of calm”.
“You have got to cash in. Your work ethic should be solid. You have to have a solid approach to your batting. You can’t think everything is going to happen the way I want it to happen from ball 1. No, it won’t happen like that. This game teaches you. There’s a method to madness as well. So, he has to learn that method.”
Sometimes playing domestic cricket is not a bad thing as it helps players to rediscover himself, said the coach.
“Sometimes, domestic cricket is good. There is less pressure in domestic cricket. He’s lucky that he has age on his side.” Shastri hinted that Pant could be sent back to domestic cricket to iron out his flaws.
“If he disappears for 3 months or 6 months, just to work on his game, people should not think he has been treated (badly). Absolutely not. He will come back tougher and stronger, if there is a need for that to happen.”