After the conclusion of the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup, India will see a new head coach and it will be the former captain Rahul Dravid.
“The Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Sulakshana Naik and RP Singh on Wednesday unanimously appointed Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach of Team India (Senior Men). The former India captain will take charge from the upcoming home series against New Zealand,” a BCCI statement read.
Dravid will be taking over from Ravi Shastri, who ends his tenure with the 2021 T20 World Cup where India began their campaign with two defeats against Pakistan and New Zealand.
Dravid was reported to have met BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and the top brass in Dubai on the sidelines of the IPL 2021 final which is when they convinced him to take up the job.
“It is an absolute honour to be appointed as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team and I am really looking forward to this role. Under Mr Shastri, the team has done very well, and I hope to work with the team to take this forward. Having worked closely with most of the boys either at NCA, U19 and India A setup, I know they have the passion and desire to improve every day. There are some marquee multi-team events in the next two years, and I look forward to working with the players and the support staff to achieve our potential,” Rahul Dravid said.
The former India captain, who has been the coach of the India U19, India A and India senior team (tour of Sri Lanka in July 2021), will begin his stint with the home series against New Zealand. Dravid will also now leave his post as the head of the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru where he has been working since 2019.
India have qualified for two Under-19 World Cup finals under Dravid, losing one (to West Indies in 2016) and winning one (against Australia in 2018).
In Sri Lanka, the Dravid coached team was led by Shikhar Dhawan and they won the three-match ODI series and lost the T20I series, both with the score reading 2-1. The Indian Test team with Virat Kohli and co were in England for the WTC Final and the five-match Test series at the same time.
India play three T20Is and two Tests beginning 17 November.
“The BCCI welcomes Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach of India’s senior men team. Rahul has had an illustrious playing career and is one of the greats of the game. He has also served Indian cricket as Head of National Cricket Academy (NCA) with distinction. Rahul’s effort at the NCA has nurtured several young cricketing talents who have gone on to represent the country at the international stage. I am hopeful that his new stint will take Indian cricket to new heights,” BCCI President Sourav Ganguly said.
Under Ravi Shastri, India became the first Asian team win a Test series in Australia in 2018/19 and then repeated the feat in heroic fashion in 2020/21. Shastri also oversaw a Test series win England and made it to the top of the Test rankings as well, remaining unbeaten at home.
"The Board congratulates Mr Shastri (former Team Director & Head Coach), Mr B. Arun (Bowling Coach), Mr R. Sridhar (Fielding Coach) and Mr Vikram Rathour (Batting Coach) on a successful tenure. Under Shastri, the Indian Cricket Team adopted a bold and fearless approach and performed creditably both in home and away conditions. India climbed to the top position in the Test format and made it to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in England," the BCCI statement read.
Meanwhile, Paras Mhambrey has applied for the post of bowling coach to take over from Bharat Arun and current batting coach Vikram Rathour will be reapplying for his position.
Mhambrey and Dravid have previously worked together at the NCA, where the pacer has worked for nearly a decade. Interestingly, the coaching module prepared by the NCA to ensure a smooth transition from U-19 to A teams and then subsequently to the main squad has been the handiwork of both Dravid and Mhambrey. The 49-year-old Mhambrey played two Tests and three ODIs for India between 1996 to 1998.
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