BCCI offers to extend Rahul Dravid’s term as Head coach of Indian Cricket team
The BCCI has offered an extension to Rahul Dravid to continue as the head coach of the Indian Cricket team.
With Rahul Dravid’s term as Team India’s head coach concluding after the Cricket World Cup 2023, the national team currently stands without a coach. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) offered an extension to Dravid, offering the role of T20 coach. Initially, the position was offered to Ashish Nehra, who declined it.
Reliable sources indicate that Nehra, known for his coaching success with the IPL’s Gujarat Titans, turned down the opportunity to lead India’s T20 team. Subsequently, the BCCI approached Dravid, proposing him to continue coaching the team across all formats.
Rahul Dravid’s extension is currently open-ended, and it remains uncertain whether he has accepted it or not. The BCCI’s decision to stick with Dravid is rooted in maintaining continuity in the team’s structure and environment that he established over the past two years.
If Dravid agrees to the extension, his first assignment will be the South Africa tour from December 10. Others will include three ODIs and T20Is along with two Tests. The red-ball leg is scheduled to start from December 26.
Following the South Africa tour, a five-match Test series against England at home awaits, ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup in June in West Indies or the USA.
Notably, this potential extension is expected to retain the existing set of assistant coaches, including Vikram Rathour (batting coach), Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach), and T Dilip (fielding coach).
Rahul Dravid took over from Ravi Shastri after India’s ICC T20 World Cup campaign in 2021. His initial two-year term concluded with India’s runner up finish in the recently concluded ICC ODI Cricket World Cup in India.