Sources: BCCI Approaches Rahul Dravid as ‘1st Choice’ T20 Coach Option Declined

Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the head coach of Team India has come to an end after the conclusion of the Cricket World Cup 2023, leaving the senior national team without a designated coach at the moment. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is currently working behind the scenes to find the ideal coaching solution. While VVS Laxman is currently with the Indian team for the 5-match T20I series against Australia, the BCCI has offered an extension to Dravid, initially offering the role of T20 coach to Ashish Nehra.

According to sources, Nehra was offered the job to lead India’s T20 team, but he turned down the proposal. As a result, the BCCI approached Dravid and asked him to continue coaching the team in all three formats. Nehra had impressed many with his coaching stint with the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, where the franchise emerged as champions in 2022 before losing to the Chennai Super Kings in the 2023 final. However, coaching the Indian team is not a project Nehra wishes to take up at the moment.

Dravid was approached by the board last week with an open-ended extension offer, but it is still uncertain whether he has accepted it. One of the key reasons why the BCCI chose to stick with Dravid is to maintain continuity in the team’s structure and environment, which he had established over the past two years. Appointing a new coach could potentially disrupt this continuity.

If Dravid accepts the extension, his first assignment in his second stint will be the tour of South Africa starting on December 10, which includes three ODIs, three T20Is, and two Tests. This will be followed by a five-match Test series against England at home, and then the ICC T20 World Cup in June in either the West Indies or USA.

Dravid took over as the head coach from Ravi Shastri following India’s disappointing campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup in 2021, where they were eliminated in the Super 12 stage. He was initially appointed for a two-year term, which ended with India finishing as runners-up in the ICC Cricket World Cup at home. This is the joint-best finish under Dravid in an ICC tournament, with their previous best being a ten-wicket loss to England in the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

If Dravid decides to continue as the coach, it is expected that the same set of assistant coaches, including Vikram Rathour (batting coach), Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach), and T Dilip (fielding coach), will be retained.

(With ANI inputs)