Will Rahul Dravid (on left) fill the vacancy of the decisive role of India’s Head Coach, held by an outgoing Ravi Shastri (right)?[/caption]
Virat Kohli’s team India are all set to herald into a new era after the T20 World Cup, as a major revamp awaits in the coaching department, India media predicted on Wednesday (11).
Ravi Shastri, the highly successful current Head Coach of India, is all set to bid goodbye to the Indian cricket team after the World Cup, scheduled for this October and November.
According to a report by the Indian Express, Shastri has already communicated the same to some of the top Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials.
Former India Captain Rahul Dravid will be a favourite for the job, should he decide to apply for it.
Can apply after World Cup
But why exactly Shastri wants to move out? The BCCI has set an upper age limit for the Head Coach job to 60. At 59, Shastri will only have the chance to lead the team for another year. So both BCCI and the Head Coach are set to explore other options, reported the Inside Sports.
The BCCI will invite applications for a new Head Coach after the T20 World Cup in UAE. The BCCI Cricket Committee will interview the shortlisted candidates and select India’s new Coaching Staff.
Demand in IPL
Not only Shastri but also the likes of the Fielding Coach Ramakrishnan Sridhar, Bowling Coach Bharat Arun, and Batting Coach Vikram Rathour are also set to move on from their roles in the current Indian team set-up.
The trio have been largely successful in transforming the face of the Indian side, and have already entered into discussions with multiple Indian Premier League (IPL) teams.
Arun and Sridhar in particular have a huge amount of credit to their name as India’s bowling and fielding standards have been amongst the best in the business over the past few years.
Fine work with youngsters
Ravi Shastri was first appointed as India team Manager in 2014 and was in the role until the 2016 T20 World Cup. Following Anil Kumble’s brief stint, Shastri returned after India’s 2017 Champions Trophy Final defeat to Pakistan.
Whilst India failed to win an International Cricket Council (ICC) honour under his helm, the 59-year-old is credited for making India a steely outfit and increasing their bench strength considerably.
His work with youngsters, especially the rise of Rishabh Pant, has also caught the eye. In his tenure, India won two series in Australia, West Indies, and Sri Lanka while they put in a spirited effort in South Africa and England.
Dravid the best choice
India reached the semi-final of the 2019 World Cup and the ICC World Test Championship final, both of which ended in a defeat.
Some officials have pointed to Dravid as the best choice, and the former Indian batsman was the Head Coach during the recently concluded tour of Sri Lanka.
Dravid, who has done considerable work with the India Under-19 and ‘A’ teams and the National Cricket Academy (NCA), is familiar with a host of players in the team and is a frontrunner should he apply. Dravid’s contract at the NCA itself expires in September, and a potential opportunity awaits for the former batsman, nicknamed ‘The Wall’.
‘Not given any other thoughts yet’
The BCCI have already handed out invitations for Dravid’s role at NCA, suggesting that a succession plan is in place after the T20 World Cup. During the tour of Sri Lanka, the former Indian Captain however had revealed that he had not thought about leading the team full-time.
Dravid said, “I have enjoyed the experience of working with these guys. It has been great. I have not given any other thoughts to anything else. There are a lot of challenges in doing full-time roles, so I really don’t know.”