Rahul Dravid and the top brass of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had an in-depth discussion on the possibilities surrounding his role as head coach, with the board leaning towards handing over the reins of the team to a new person to take charge would take. T20 World Cup 2024 in mind. The person the board has in mind is VVS Laxman, director of NCA. Dravid’s two-year stint as India’s head coach ended with the recent World Cup final, in which Rohit Sharma’s side suffered a heartbreaking six-wicket defeat to Australia.
Since then, Dravid’s future as the backroom helmsman of the Indian cricket team has been continuously debated.
“Rahul and the BCCI had a discussion about the state of affairs now. We will respect the decision he has taken. The general feeling is that now the T20 World Cup, in seven to eight months, is time for a new coach and a team put together and set up a process. He (Dravid) is well aware of that,” a BCCI official close to the development told PTI on condition of anonymity.
However, the official said a decision will be taken only after thorough consideration of all angles.
“We are also discussing whether continuity (current coach/captain combination) is needed for the World Cup (T20). We hope to reach a decision soon so that the way forward is clear,” he added.
It is also clear that the board is quite happy with the way Dravid has led the team along with captain Rohit in the last two years despite not winning any global trophies. The pair have led India to the semi-finals of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia and finals of the 2023 World Test Championship in England and the 50-over World Cup on home soil.
However, India won the Asia Cup under their regime by beating Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in Colombo in September.
The official hinted that all concerned stakeholders including Rohit, chief selector Ajit Agarkar and a few other senior BCCI officials will meet soon to take a final call.
VVS Laxman, the current NCA chief, is tipped to succeed Dravid as India’s head coach and the official said they have kept their options open.
“There are options open (for the head coach). He (Laxman) is familiar with the team, the players and the methods. He also has experience of working with the national team,” he explained.
Laxman is currently with the Indian team as head coach for the five-match T20I series against Australia, and the former Indian batsman has often featured for Dravid in the past when the latter has been rested.
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