'They do it to have fun at my expense': Ravi Shastri's reply to social media trolls and memes on him
When asked about his reaction to the social media memes on him that often go viral, India head coach Ravi Shastri said they are 'banters' and they do not affect him at all.
India head coach Ravi Shastri often does not get the credit he deserves when India wins but when the result doesn’t go India’s way, albeit for a match, Shastri is the first one subjected to numerous social media trolls. While some of the memes are funny, many are distasteful at times. Shastri, however, does not mind that one bit.
When asked about his reaction to the social media memes on him that often go viral, Shastri said they are 'banters'.
"I would say it's banter. They do it to have fun at my expense. I will have milk and honey and you enjoy your drink," Shastri laughed while answering to the query during a virtual press conference.
Shastri added that those memes bring a smile to a lot of faces and hence they do not bother him at all.
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"Kya farq padhta hai yaar (How does it matter buddy?). I mean when you post those things, kitne jan haanste hai, bolte hai Ravi ke barein mein (when they post a meme, people laugh and they talk about me). "It's okay as long as the team does well," said the coach, who showed a lot of spirit when socialite Shobha De posted one such meme.
From being criticised to being feted, Shastri knows the nature of fickle- minded Indian fans. "Criticism? what's that. You know how quickly people change their opinions. So shanti rakho. Om Shanti Om." And what's secret recipe of his success? The former all-rounder believes his "man management" skills have come to the fore, treating each player differently, something that has paid dividends.
"I didn't know what to expect when I first took up the job. But what I have learnt in last six years, I haven't in the past 35 years (as a player and commentator). "Man management is the most important thing. More important is to understand human behaviour, their instincts, mind-sets. How someone reacts to failure, how someone reacts to success, when to talk, whom to talk and whom not to talk.
"Virat wanted work ethic, fitness, high fielding standards and trust within the system and also get rid of excuses that this is not right and that went wrong etc etc" Shastri ended like tracer bullet.
"When I walk into the team room and see the energy, I haven't seen such atmosphere where you have trust, you enjoy each other's company and performances," he said.
(With PTI inputs)
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