Ravi Shastri visits Shirdi temple with coach R Sridhar to seek blessings for successful ICC World Cup 2019

Team India head coach Ravi Shastri visited the holy Sai Baba temple on Monday ahead of Indian cricket team's final press conference before boarding flight to the United Kingdom for the upcoming ICC World Cup 2019 in England and Wales. As per reports, Indian head coach Shastri offered prayers at the Shirdi Temple in Maharashtra early morning before heading to the afternoon's pre-departure conference for the World Cup at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai.

Shastri was accompanied by Indian fielding coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar as both coaches took a chopper to reach Shirdi where they sought the blessings of Sai Baba for a successful World Cup campaign in the United Kingdom. After seeking the divine blessings at Shirdi temple, coach Sridhar shortly shared a photo on social media where he was captured alongside head coach Shastri. Sridhar in his post thanked Gautam Singhania, who is the chairman and managing director of Raymond for helping the Indian coaches complete a blissful visit to the temple.  

"A big shout of thanks to @SinghaniaGautam for helping us seek the blessings of Shirdi Saibaba prior to our departure for the @cricketworldcup 2019. Baba's blessings to all – at Shri Sai Prasadalaya - Shirdi,"  Sridhar said in his tweets. After offering his prayers at the Sai Baba temple, coach Shahstri then attended Team India's scheduled presser with skipper Virat Kohli. 

Calling the ICC World Cup a big opportunity for the Men in Blue, Shastri said that Indian team has played great cricket for the past five years and it is important for Virat Kohli and Co to enjoy the quadrennial event in the United Kingdom. Speaking about the round robin format of the cricket's biggest showpiece, the Indian coach said that the tournament is expected to be challenging and the plus side is that each team will play nine games before coming to the business end of the competition.