The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials have discussed the future of Rahul Dravid as head coach of the team going forward as his contract ended after the completion of the ODI World Cup 2023. The Men in Blue had a remarkable campaign under his coaching in the marquee event but fell short of the well-deserved title on home soil.
Throughout his tenure as head coach, Rahul Dravid played a great role in the team’s success and they achieved some historic feats under his leadership. The official stated that they would respect any decision made by the former Indian skipper regarding his wishes to continue with the Indian team.
The brand of cricket that the Indian team played under him, especially in the ODI World Cup has urged many to ask him to take up the new contract. According to a BCCI official as reported by TOI, with the T20 World Cup 2024 scheduled to take place next year, the board believes that the new coach can build up the team easily, with respect to Dravid’s decision
“Rahul and the BCCI talked about where things stand now. We will respect the decision taken by him. The general feeling is that with the T20 World Cup about 7-8 months away, there is time for a new coach to come in and build a team and set a process. He (Dravid) is quite aware of that,” a BCCI official said.
After Virat Kohli’s captaincy controversy, Rahul Dravid brought the Indian team back on track replacing Ravi Shastri. The former Indian skipper developed great camaraderie among the players. Although his coaching performance was not exceptional, he did help the team find the right combination falling short of ICC titles in the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup.
VVS Laxman is currently serving as the head coach of the Indian cricket team for the ongoing T20I series against Australia. He has often taken charge in the absence of Rahul Dravid, the regular head coach. The BCCI official mentioned that discussions regarding the continuation of the current coach-captain combination are underway.
“We are also talking about whether continuity (current coach/captain combination) is needed for the (T20) WC. We are hoping to reach a decision soon so that the path forward is clear.”
“Options are open (for head coach). He (Laxman) is familiar with the team, players, and the methods. He also has experience working with the national team,” BCCI official added.
Reports have suggested that Rahul Dravid might join the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) IPL franchise as a mentor for IPL 2024. It remains to be seen what role he will play in the Indian team and National Cricket Academy (NCA) in the future.
