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Former India captain and ex-head coach Ravi Shastri sent out a funny warning to England while reacting to Ravichandran Ashwin’s new hairstyle during the BCCI Awards ceremony in Hyderabad on Tuesday. The cricketer-turned-commentator was honoured with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at the event. While using words from Ashwin’s speech that the player gave during the ceremony, Shastri pointed out at the spinner’s new hairstyle. He funnily warned England about the threat that Ashwin could pose for them during his bowling.

“Ashwin just mentioned, ‘I am going to get up do better’. Now that he has had this haircut and his brains are free, with the air going through, can you imagine what all he is thinking? There could be a ‘Teesra’, there could be a ‘choutha’. England will find out very soon in the next couple of months,” said Shastri.

In a glittering ceremony, the BCCI awarded a host of top men’s and women’s performers from the 2019-20 season. Alongside Shastri, former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer too was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Shastri was part of India’s World Cup winning squad in 1983 and was the Player of the Series when they bagged the World Series in 1985.

Later as a coach, Shastri masterminded India’s back-to-back Test series wins in Australia, the first Asian side to achieve the feat.

The 61-year-old also lauded the BCCI for looking after him through his career.

“I thank the BCCI for bestowing this honour on me. It’s four decades in the game, you have not missed a beat and you have been involved with Indian cricket right through,” said Shastri.

“It is a very touching moment for me because when I started my cricket at the age of 17 and I finished at 31 as a player, 30 in fact, BCCI was my guardian right through. They showed me the path to play the sport.”

(With PTI Inputs)