Rahul Dravid’s future as India head coach yet to be determined- Report

Rahul Dravid took over as Team India head coach in 2021.

By Jatin Sharma - 16 Nov, 2023

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to begin conversations about the future of Team India head coach Rahul Dravid and his support staff. Their tenure may have ended if India had lost the semifinal at the Wankhede on Wednesday. The tenure will now end on November 19 with the final of the ICC World Cup 2023.

India defeated New Zealand in the first semi-final of the tournament in Mumbai by 70 runs with centurions Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer starring with the bat and Mohammad Shami was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 7/57.

Rahul Dravid and his support staff were under contract till the World Cup, and the BCCI had different ideas about how to move forward with the coaching team. Initially, Dravid's BCCI superiors had misgivings about his coaching technique, but the Indian team's recent performances may have changed those impressions.

But with the Indian team steamrolling opposition in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2023 and qualifying for the final in style, a contract renewal or extension might very well be on the cards. However, the key question is whether Dravid himself is interested in continuing.

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The perception was that Rahul Dravid had to be coerced into taking the India coach role in 2021, but the performance of the team and how he, along with Rohit Sharma changed the way the Indian team played in ODIs, has led to a perception change.

There has been no discussion with Dravid about his future over the last month or before that. He has focused on the job at hand.

Whether or not Dravid chooses to continue, it is anticipated that members of his support staff - batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip-are likely to be offered extensions. Details are expected to emerge soon.

NCA chief VVS Laxman will be the head coach of the Indian team which will play a five-T20I series against Australia post the ongoing CWC 2023, which begins on November 23. This arrangement allows the BCCI some time to finalize decisions on the future of Dravid and his team.

The BCCI has not yet fixed a date for picking the T20I squad. This is expected to happen only on November 20, the day following the final. The match would begin two days later in Visakhapatnam.

(Cricbuzz inputs)

By Jatin Sharma - 16 Nov, 2023

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