Rahul Dravid has agreed, in principle, to apply for the position of the head coach to succeed outgoing coach Ravi Shastri, as congratulations have poured in from many supporters, including former coach Greg Chappell and some BCCI officials.
However, the appointment and a formal confirmation from the BCCI may take weeks, maybe even a month. Nevertheless, things materialized quickly last week when Rahul Dravid agreed to hear the BCCI out on the India coach offer and proceeded to Dubai, where he was invited for the business end of the IPL 2021 alongside people in key BCCI positions, like the CAC and Apex Council members.
Rahul Dravid Agrees In Principle To Apply For The Position Of The Head Coach To Succeed Ravi Shastri
Up until this point, Rahul Dravid was understood to be uninterested in taking up the India coach offer. But in the lead-up to the IPL final, he had a long chat with all the office-bearers of the BCCI, who had been trying to convince Rahul Dravid for over a week prior to that.
During the talks, the BCCI officials are understood to have been in favour of an Indian coach, as the idea of a foreign coach who comes with his own crew of support staff didn’t find many backers.
Rahul Dravid was convinced to apply for the position for which an advertisement is expected soon after deliberation laid down the constitutional procedures. Rahul Dravid finally has agreed to apply for the position with no conditions attached. Paras Mhambrey‘s name for India’s bowling coach has been doing the rounds too.
“It is only an assumption that Paras will get the job. As Dravid has been comfortable working with him, his name has been taken but he will have to apply for the role as well and will have to go through the same process,” a source said.
Nothing has been decided on Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India coach. However, the contract will likely be for two years initially and will be up for renewal, as 2023 is a landmark year when India hosts the 50-over World Cup. Furthermore, no promises have been made to Rahul Dravid about his return to the National Cricket Academy (NCA), where he has enjoyed working all these years, after the end of his India role.
Virat Kohli Unaware Of Rahul Dravid’s Coaching Role
While Virat Kohli has announced that he will step down as India’s T20I captain after the upcoming 2021 T20I World Cup, there’s little clarity around the plans BCCI has for the ODI side.
On Saturday, asked about the possibility of Rahul Dravid succeeding Ravi Shastri as the head coach, the India captain Virat Kohli said, “No idea exactly what’s happening on that front, no detailed discussion with anyone yet.”
However, Rahul Dravid is understood to be now comfortable with the leadership group and wants it to be “non-negotiable” with regards to the interest and trust of the players. His contract will run till 2023. He will take over the job after the conclusion of the forthcoming T20I World Cup 2021, which ends in November. The new coach has been offered a hefty contract and will be drawing a salary of Rs 10 crore. The amount makes him one of the highest-paid Indian coaches.
This will be the third time when Rahul Dravid will be working with Team India. His first stint came in 2014 when he travelled to England as a batting consultant for the Test series. In July 2021, he returned as interim head coach for Sri Lankan limited-overs tour as Ravi Shastri-led coaching staff was in England for a Test series.