CoA responds sharply to Ravi Shastri's 'best travelling team' claim 

Ravi Shastri firmly believes that the current side is the best Indian travelling team in the last 15 years. Expressing his displeasure at the general perception in the media, the head coach reiterated his view in a recent meeting between the team management and BCCI's Committee of Administrators (CoA).

However, the CoA has responded strongly to Shastri's claim by mentioning that it was not his job to decide if the Indian team was the best travelling side in the world.

Shastri repeated his sentiments during a meeting between the Indian team management and the CoA in Hyderabad. He started by stating that the Indian media has always criticized their own players and also explained how the current team is one of the best ever Indian sides in the last 15 years.

"When Ravi went on about how great this current team is, one of the CoA members just cut him short," an official who attended the meeting told PTI.

"The CoA member told him, 'Let's stick to the agenda of the meeting and discuss Australia tour policies. You don't decide if the team is the best traveling side in the world. Let people be the judge'," the official revealed.

One of the seniors present in the meeting also made it clear that there was nothing wrong in wanting the Indian team to perform better overseas.

"The administrator told them, 'You have been given everything - from hefty central contracts to practice facilities, support staff, whatever you guys have wanted. So it's only fair that your performances are put in perspective'," the official further added.

The meeting was attended by CoA chief Vinod Rai, committee member Diana Edulji, CEO Rahul Johri, IPL COO Hemang Amin, GM Saba Karim apart from Indian captain Virat Kohli, coach Shastri, Test vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, senior player Rohit Sharma and chairman of selectors MSK Prasad.

Addressing Kohli's controversial reply to a fan who called him overrated, a senior official asserted that the Indian skipper should have been more careful while expressing his views.

"He (Kohli) must understand that the kind of money he is earning is because Indian fans have invested in this game," said the senior official.

The official also added that Kohli made the comment on his private forum or business initiative and did not use any BCCI platform, which was another issue.