Ravi Shastri will take charge of his final project as Team India coach in the upcoming T20 World Cup, which starts from Sunday. The tournament marks the end of Shastri’s tenure as the team’s head coach and if rumours are to be believed, India batting legend Rahul Dravid is likely to replace him.

The development is yet to be officially announced by the BCCI but the speculations regarding Dravid’s appointment have created quite a buzz. India captain Virat Kohli, who will be leading the side in his final assignment as T20I skipper at the T20 World Cup, was asked about the rumours, and he gave an interesting response.

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“Look, I mean our goal is to win the World Cup. I have no idea regarding what is happening on the coach front, we have not had any detailed discussions with anyone. But winning the T20 World Cup is our goal like any other team. But I think what we have been able to create over the last 5-6 years is beyond titles and beyond tournaments,” said Kohli during Captain’s Call organised by ICC ahead of the ultimate T20 showdown.

“We have created a culture which I think will last for a long time where people want to be the best they can be when they enter the team, the fittest they can be. That culture we have driven with utmost passion and honesty which we hope will continue to be the case in the years to come. Winning an ICC title will definitely be a wonderful moment for all of us, it will be an amazing achievement. We are motivated to do so, we will give it our everything,” he added.

The Team India captain also explained the reason behind Yuzvendra Chahal’s omission from the World Cup squad. Chahal, who plays with Kohli for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, had a remarkable campaign in the second leg of the tournament.

“It was a challenging call but we decided to back Rahul Chahar for a reason. He has bowled amazingly well over the last couple of years in the IPL. A guy who bowls with pace, he did really well in Sri Lanka and against England at home as well, he was someone who bowled those difficult overs,” explained Kohli.

“We believe going on in this tournament, the wickets are going to get slower and slower, so guys who bowl with pace will be able to trouble the batters as compared to those who give it air. Rahul definitely has those strengths naturally as a leg-spinner. He is someone who always attacks the wickets, that is the factor that tilted the thing in favour of him. Picking a World Cup is always tricky and you cannot always have everyone in that squad,” he added.

Chahal finished IPL 2021 with 18 wickets from 15 outings, which included a 3/11 against the Mumbai Indians. Out of the 18 wickets, 14 came in 8 matches the team played in the second leg.

India will kick-off their T20 World Cup campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24.