New Delhi: The top officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have had a detailed discussion with Rahul Dravid about the possibilities of his role as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, but the board is considering handing over the responsibility to a new person keeping in mind the T20 World Cup 2024. The board is thinking of VVS Laxman, the director of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), as the potential replacement for Dravid. Dravid’s two-year contract as the head coach of India ended on the day of the World Cup final recently. Since then, there has been a lot of speculation about his future.
A BCCI official, on the condition of anonymity, told ‘PTI’ that Rahul and the BCCI have talked about the current situation. We will respect his decision. However, everyone feels that the T20 World Cup is going to happen in seven to eight months, so it will take time for the new coach to build a team and set a process. He (Dravid) is fully aware of this. The official said that the decision will be taken after considering all the aspects.
He said, “We are also discussing whether the current combination of coach and captain will be needed or not for the T20 World Cup. We hope to reach a decision soon so that things become clear in the future. It is also noteworthy that the board is quite happy with the way Dravid has worked with captain Rohit Sharma in the last two years, even though they could not win any global trophy. They have taken India to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, the final of the World Test Championship 2023 in England, and the final of the 50-over World Cup at home.
India won the Asia Cup by defeating Sri Lanka by 10 wickets in Colombo in September. The official indicated that all the stakeholders, including Rohit, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and some other senior BCCI officials, will soon reach a consensus on the matter. Laxman is being considered as the heir of Dravid as the head coach of India.
The official said that they have kept their options open. He said, “The options are open for the head coach. He (Laxman) is familiar with the team, the players, and the training methods. He also has experience working with the national team. Laxman is currently working as the head coach for the five-match T20 international series against Australia, and whenever Dravid was given a break during his tenure, he has performed this duty well.
