5 quotes by Ravi Shastri: A man who doesn't mince words

Ravi Shastri has always been a fiery character. Even during his playing days, he was never one to back away from a fight. This is part of the reason he has a bittersweet relationship with the fans. The 55-year-old also enjoys great chemistry with skipper Virat Kohli because of his aggressive stance about the game.

Shastri has always possessed the gift of gab. Be it 'Dhoni finishes off in style' or 'the party begins in Mumbai', his impassioned and incisive commentary has influenced an entire generation of viewers.

Here are five quotes by the Indian coach that are a testament to his fervent behaviour.

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#1 On criticism

Shastri gave his thoughts about the criticism faced by India after their loss to SA

The proposition that Ravi Shastri has a tendency of coming down very hard on even an iota of criticism directed towards him, was further established when, following the likes of Virat Kohli, he too started belligerently cross questioning the journalists in press conferences.

The timing of Shastri's statements came under scrutiny due to his absence from press conferences following India's forgettable start to their campaign in South Africa. When he finally decided to face the media after the team's win in the final Test at the Wanderers, it was only to convey that he hardly cared about the criticism.

#2 On experts

This is what Shastri thinks about experts and analysts of the game

Having been a commentator and analyst himself for more than two decades, you expect the former slow left-arm orthodox spinner to have a good idea about the psyche of cricket experts and understand that they are only doing their job.

Therefore, it came as surprise when Shastri became extremely critical of the cricket experts soon after he changed sides to become the Indian coach.

#3 On the perceived response to India's performance

His statement created quite a stir in the media

As soon as Ravi Shastri returned to India after the South Africa tour, he grabbed the headlines through his controversial statements. In an interview given to a newspaper, Shastri raised questions about the response (of the fans and experts) to India's performance.

Particularly, his statement that 'people are happy when you lose' ruffled a few feathers.

"This is the biggest problem with our critics. When you win, the other team is not playing well. When you win in Sri Lanka, they are a weak team. When you play South Africa, they are not at their best. Remember, a team is only as good as you allow it to be. It’s as simple as that," sulked the veteran commentator.

#4 On MS Dhoni

Clearly, Shastri thinks very highly of MS Dhoni

The 55-year-old ranks the former Captain MS Dhoni very highly and has defended him on numerous occasions. The Indian coach considers Dhoni to be a player in the league of Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar and maintains that people would realize his real worth once he decides to bid adieu to the game.

Recently, when Dhoni was not able to take India over the line in the 2nd T20I against New Zealand, he received a lot of flak for his low strike rate. Shastri came to the defence of the wicket keeper yet again, saying that Dhoni still had a lot of cricket left in him.

#5 On winning the 2015 World Cup

Shastri's trust and confidence in the Indian team is very apparent

It was 2015 and India were on a roll in the World Cup. Just a month before, they had been comprehensively outplayed in the ODI series against Australia. The Men in Blue couldn't win even a single match against the Aussies.

In a turn of events, the team regrouped before the World Cup and came up with commendable performances, one after the other. At such a time, Shastri tried to keep the spirit of the defending champions afloat by staking India's claim to the trophy.