The BCCI have formally announced that Rahul Dravid will succeed Ravi Shastri as the head coach of the India Men after the ongoing T20 World Cup. Dravid will take charge from India’s upcoming home series against New Zealand, starting 17 November.
The BCCI release read: ‘The Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Ms Sulakshana Naik and Mr RP Singh on Wednesday unanimously appointed Mr Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach of Team India (Senior Men).’
The BCCI had invited applications for the position on 17 October. Dravid applied for the post nine days later.
Dravid, a former India captain, had coached the India Under-19 in two World Cups, in 2016 and 2018. They finished runners-up and champions respectively. Dravid also worked with India A until 2019, when he was appointed head of National Cricket Academy, Bengaluru.
Earlier this year, he coached a second-string Indian team, led by Shikhar Dhawan, on their tour of Sri Lanka.
‘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’ commented Dravid. ‘Under Mr Shastri, the team has done very well, and I hope to work with the team to take this forward. 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 no announcements on Dravid's support staff yet. Vikram Rathour, the current batting coach, has reapplied for the post, while Paras Mhambrey, Dravid's NCA colleague, is tipped to be the favourite to replace Bharat Arun as bowling coach.