New Delhi, India
India legend Rahul Dravid has finally applied for the post of head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. Dravid is considered as one of the front runners to replace Ravi Shastri at the helm after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021 in Dubai. Shastri's contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will expire after the showpiece event in UAE and Oman.
Dravid is currently the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and is expected to step down from his post soon to take over as the India head coach. Dravid's former teammate and another great of Indian cricket, VVS Laxman is reportedly in the race to replace him as the new head of the NCA.
"Yes, Dravid has applied for the position of Team India head coach and Laxman is definitely in the race to take over as NCA head. Talks are on and we have to see how it goes," a source told news agency ANI.
Earlier this month, BCCI had invited applications for several posts including the head coach, batting coach, bowling and fielding coach of the Indian men's team. October 26 (Tuesday) was the deadline to apply for the posts and Dravid seems to have made up his mind to take Indian cricket to greater hieghts by becoming the head coach of the team.
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Dravid is expected to bring in his own backroom staff once he takes over from Shastri, however, current batting coach Vikram Rathour will retain his position and remain in charge as the batting coach, as per ANI's source.
"Dravid has agreed and it cannot get better. The other positions will now be looked into while Vikram 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 easy for Indian cricket to continue on its path to becoming world-beaters on the pitch," the source said.
Darvid, who has coached the India U-19 and India A teams in the past, had recently travelled to Sri Lanka as a stand-in head coach with the senior team for their limited-overs tour in the absence of Shastri. Dravid has often been credited to have nurtured several talented players who are currently the part of the Indian team and has been touted by many as the right choice for the India head coach position.