In what is some big news coming in on the morning after the IPL 2021 final, former captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian men’s team.
A Times of India report suggests that the BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and Secretary Jay Shah convinced Dravid to take up the job after the T20 World Cup.
“Dravid has confirmed he will be the next head coach of the Indian team. He will be stepping down as the head of the National Cricket Academy soon,” the report quoted a source as saying.
Dravid has been heading the NCA in Bangalore since 2019 and previously has coached the India Under-19 and A teams.
"Dravid has agreed and it cannot get better. The other positions will now be looked into while Vikram (Rathour) stays as the batting coach. The Indian team is in a state of transition with youngsters coming in and they have all worked with Dravid and it will be all the more easier for Indian cricket to continue on its path to become world beaters on the pitch," news agency ANI quoted a source as saying.
"Jay (Shah) and Sourav (Ganguly) spoke to him and it was about Dravid being convinced because it does need a lot of time as you need to be on the go constantly. But things went well and Dravid has always kept the interest of the Indian cricket on the top so it made things easier as the team would do well to have someone like him guiding the boys," the source added.
A BCCI official confirmed that "Rahul has agreed to coach the Indian team till 2023 World Cup".
The official told IANS that BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah had a meeting with Dravid on the side-lines of the IPL final on Friday evening and they managed to convince him.
"There are a couple of issues which Dravid wants to settle with the BCCI and hopefully that will be done," he added.
Asked what are the "issues", the official said, "Like, Dravid wants to have new support staff… changing the entire old one. And a couple of other things. I am sure everything will be sorted out. Because BCCI wants Dravid to lead the charge."
Recently it was widely reported that Dravid was set to take over as the interim coach for the upcoming home series with New Zealand.
India is currently coached by Ravi Shastri and captained by Virat Kohli in T20s, both of whom will not continue in their roles after the World Cup. Dravid had also recently coached the Indian team on the limited overs tour of Sri Lanka in July. Shastri is ineligible to reapply once his term expires owing to the age-restriction rules that are currently in play.
Along with Dravid, Paras Mhambrey is understood to have been appointed as bowling coach while a fielding coach is yet to be finalised. Mhambrey has been Dravid’s deputy at the NCA and has worked extensively with India A and Under-19 bowlers.
Dravid, the report said, has been given a two-year contract and will have a salary of 10 crore rupees.
After the men's T20 World Cup, India's first assignment will be to welcome the New Zealand side to play two Test and three T20Is.
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