"Just Play The World Cup": Ravi Shastri's Radical Suggestion On T20 Internationals

Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has suggested that bilateral T20 series between countries are done away with and international matches in the shortest format restricted to World Cups every two years to create a bigger window for franchise tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL). Shastri, who was India's coach for 2021 T20 World Cup, claimed that "no one remembers" bilateral tournaments. He suggested that cricket go the football way, where club competitions are more prevalent and international matches largely played in big tournaments like the World Cup.

He even said that in the future, there could be two seasons of the IPL in a year.

"Yes, absolutely, there's too much of bilateral stuff going on in T20 cricket," Shastri said on ESPNcricinfo.

"I've said that, even when I was the coach of India, I could see it happening in front of my eyes. It should go the football way, where, in T20 cricket, you just play the World Cup. Bilateral tournaments - no one remembers," he said.

"I don't remember a single game in the last six-seven years as coach of India, barring the World Cup. A team wins the World Cup, they will remember it. Unfortunately, we didn't, so I don't remember that either," said Shastri.

"Where I am coming from is: you play franchise cricket around the globe; each country is allowed to have their franchise cricket, which is their domestic cricket, and then, every two years, you come and play a World Cup," he explained.

Promoted

"That's the future. It could be tomorrow - 140 games, split 70-70. In two seasons," Shastri said on the suggestion of two IPL seasons in a year.

"You never know. That's the way it's going to go. That's the way it's developed as a beast of a property. And you cannot hide