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Former India skipper and batting legend Rahul Dravid was unanimously appointed as the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. Dravid will take charge from the upcoming home series when India host New Zealand for three T20Is and two Tests and will succeed Ravi Shastri into the role.
The BCCI confirmed the appointed in a media release saying the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising Sulakshana Naik and RP Singh took the decision to appoint former India captain Dravid as the head coach.
Shastri’s term will get over post the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 which is currently underway in the UAE. BCCI had invited applications for the said position on October 26.
“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,” BCCI said in a statement.
“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,” it added.
Dravid said he’s looking forward to the role and working with the players.
“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,” Dravid said in a statement. “Under Mr Shastri, the team has done very well, and I hope to work with the team to take this forward.”
He continued, “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.”
BCCI president and former India captain Sourav Ganguly welcomed Dravid’s appointment and praised his work at the National Cricket Academy as its director.
“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,” Ganguly said.
Jay Shah, the BCCI General Secretary said, “There is no better person than Rahul Dravid and I am delighted to see him being appointed as the Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. With two World Cups scheduled to take place in the next two years, it is important to have a seamless transition, and the former India captain is the right man for the job.”
“Having provided the much-needed direction to NCA and overseen the progression of the boys at India U-19 and India A level, we believe this is also a natural progression for him as a coach. I have no doubt that under him, the Indian team will dominate in all formats. The Board will soon make appointments of other coaching staff, who will support the Head Coach in jointly achieving our targets,” he added.
