India Head Coach Hunt: Rahul Dravid Turned Down Request by Senior Players to Continue, VVS Laxman Unlikely to Apply

The BCCI recently invited applications for the post of India men’s cricket team head coach with the incumbent Rahul Dravid’s contract extension set to end once the upcoming T20 World Cup concludes. Dravid’s original contract was valid till the 2023 ODI World Cup but he was handed an extension and the legendary batter is now unwilling to continue into the role citing personal reasons.

According to a report in The Hindu, Dravid has already informed the BCCI top brass even before the start of IPL 2024 of his decision to not apply for the role since he wants to spend time with his family now. BCCI secretary Jay Shah had recently said that doors remain open for Dravid as he can also apply for the coach’s role.

As per the report, several senior India players wanted Dravid to continue his role with the Test team for a year but the former skipper has decided to move on.

The current head of National Cricket Academy VVS Laxman was expected to also apply for the top job and was widely speculated to succeed his former India teammate into the role. However, he too, as per the report, is unlikely to apply.

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On Monday night, BCCI officially announced their hunt for Dravid’s replacement detailing the qualification required and a detailed job description for the eligible candidates. The deadline for sending application to the board is May 27.

As per a report in The Indian Express, the BCCI has former New Zealand captain and current head coach of Chennai Super Kings Stephen Fleming in their radar as a potential successor to Dravid.

Fleming and BCCI are reported to have meet informally during the IPL 2024.

Fleming is a revered  figure in Indian cricket circuit thanks to his success with CSK, a franchise that has won five IPL titles under his guidance since he took over as their head coach in 2009. Additionally, under him, CSK also won the now defunct Champions League T20 titles twice.

Despite the speculations that there could be different coaches for red and white-ball formats, the BCCI has laid down in its requirements that the new coach will be in charge of all three formats.