Updated April 27th, 2020 at 13:33 IST

Ravi Shastri pokes fun at 'junior' Navjot Singh Sidhu's multi-lingual sense of humour

Ravi Shastri spoke on his friendship with Navjot Singh Sidhu and lauded the former India batsman's ability to come up with unbelievable lines.

Reported by: Jatin Malu
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Former India captain Ravi Shastri has been the head coach of the Indian cricket team since July 2017. The Indian team has performed reasonably well in his tenure except for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 debacle. Ravi Shastri has been a vital cog in India's improved performances overseas.

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Ravi Shastri lauds Navjot Singh Sidhu's command over languages

The former India all-rounder was brought on board after India's loss to Pakistan in the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy. Since then, he has made a lot of changes in the way the Indian team functions, which have resulted in improved performances. Even when it comes to his ex-colleagues, Ravi Shastri continues to have a strong bond with many of them. One amongst them is the former cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu. Ravi Shastri spoke about Navjot Singh Sidhu's sense of humour on a talk show.

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While speaking on Breakfast with Champions, the host asked Ravi Shastri about his friend and 'junior' Navjot Singh Sidhu. Shastri was incidentally Sidhu's captain during their India Under-19 days, so they go a long way back. Ravi Shastri lauded Navjot Singh Sidhu's ability to come up with unbelievable lines. Ravi Shastri narrated an incident when Navjot Singh Sidhu saw a man with who had a massive paunch and was sleeping on a chair. 

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Ravi Shastri said how Navjot Singh Sidhu came up with a witty line when he saw the man with the paunch. He added Navjot Singh Sidhu said, "He is a big man, he is got a heart of gold and he is a very honourable man....... because he cannot stoop to anything low". Ravi Shastri also lauded Navjot Singh Sidhu's command over more than one language, which allows him to have a greater sense of humour and spontaneity than many. He said that even when he sees him now as a politician more than a commentator, his command over English, Hindi and Punjabi remains commendable.

After a famous cricket career that spanned nearly 15 years, Sidhu became popular for his unique, aggressive style of commentary and expert analysis, which shocked many of his former teammates besides Shastri such as Kapil Dev too and was a breath of fresh air for his colleagues in broadcasting as well. However, after a career in commentary and judging TV shows, Sidhu is now seen more in the role of a politician.

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IMAGE COURTESY: ICC TWITTER

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Published April 27th, 2020 at 13:33 IST