Happy Birthday :: Ravi Shastri [ 27th of May ]

May 27, 2015 :: Happy Birthday :: Ravi Shastri [27^th of May ]

Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri (born 27 May 1962) is former Indian cricketer and acting Director for the Indian cricket team since August, 2014. He represented the Indian national team in both Test and One-Day matches between 1981 and 1992. Although he started his career as a left arm spin bowler, he later transformed into a batting all–rounder. Shastri’s family is originally from Mangalore in Karnataka however he was born and brought up in Mumbai.

 As a batsman, he was essentially defensive with his trademark “chapati shot” (a flick off the pads), but he could raise his strike rate when required. Due to his above-average height (he stood 6′ 3″ tall) and an upright stance, he had a limited number of shots against fast bowling, but was able to put the lofted shot to good use against spin bowling. Shastri played either as an opening batsman or in the middle order.

 The highlight of his career was when he was elected Champion of Champions in the World Championship of Cricket in Australia in 1985. In the same season, he equalled West Indian Garry Sobers’s record of hitting six sixes in an over in first class cricket. He was regarded as a potential captain, but his image outside cricket, injuries and tendency to lose form at crucial times meant that he captained India in only one Test match.

 In domestic cricket, he played for Mumbai and led them to the Ranji Trophy title in his final year of playing. He also played four seasons of county cricket for Glamorgan. He was forced to retire aged 31 due to a recurring knee injury. He now does commentary on behalf of BCCI in the matches that India plays. In 2014, he became the director of Indian Cricket team for a period of eight months from India’s tour of England till the World Cup 2015.

Shastri’s ancestral origins are from Mangalore. This family has been reported to have had its ancestral temple, the Shri Vishnumurti Temple in the village Karvalu, a small village in the Yarlapadi in Karkala taluk. He was born and brought up in Mumbai. His father, M. Jayadratha Shastri, was a medical doctor; whose father was Dr M C Shastri, a well-known Ayurvedic physician of Mangalore. This family is reportedly known as a family of physicians, and had a strong academic tradition. His mother, Prof. Laksmi Shashtri was a professor in National college, Bandra. Shastri studied at Don Bosco High School, Matunga.It was only as a teenager that he took to cricket seriously. Shastri,