India’s men’s cricket team is set to get a new head coach, with incumbent Rahul Dravid having informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about his decision to step away at the end of India’s T20 World Cup campaign in June.
Dravid is understood to have informed the BCCI hierarchy about his decision to spend time with the family even before the Indian Premier League began in March.
Late on Monday night, the BCCI officially invited applications for the head coach’s post, setting May 27 as the deadline.
Last week, BCCI secretary Jay Shah – while stating that the applications for the head coach will be invited soon – had stressed Dravid “will have to reapply” if he wants an extension.
Sportstar understands that Dravid – who agreed to an extension after his contract expired at the end of the 2023 World Cup – had clarified well in advance of seeking no further extension for personal reasons.
Dravid was appointed India’s head coach in 2021 and helped the team finish as the runner-up in the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup last year. | Photo Credit: Murali Kumar K
In fact, a group of seniors in the team had requested him to consider being at the helm of the Test team for at least a year but Dravid had made up his mind.
Had Dravid agreed, the BCCI might have considered having different coaches for limited overs and Test match set-ups. However, as stated by Shah last week, there will only be one head coach across formats and his appointment will be till the end of 2027.
Contrary to speculations, VVS Laxman – the head coach at the National Cricket Academy – too is unlikely to enter the fray.
BCCI, in consultation with senior players, may thus be forced to look for an overseas coach. A couple of IPL franchise head coaches, who have been a part of the tournament for a long time, have been approached but they have yet to express willingness to apply for the post so far.
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