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The hunt for Team India's next head coach is very much underway, with Rahul Dravid reportedly unwilling to continue in the role. The former India captain was appointed as the national coach after Ravi Shastri's tenure came to an end following the Men in Blue's disastrous 2021 T20 World Cup campaign.
Dravid's contract ended following the 2023 ODI World Cup in which India finished runners-up. The Men in Blue, under Rohit Sharma, went unbeaten into the final against Australia. However, they stumbled when it mattered the most, going down by six wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Based on the team's excellent performance in the ODI World Cup, Dravid was offered an extension by the BCCI, which he accepted. His tenure will, however, end after the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.
The Indian cricket board had even invited applications for Team India's new head coach, the deadline for which ended on May 27.
Gautam Gambhir the frontrunner to take over as new head coach: Reports
According to a report in Cricbuzz, former India opener and Kolkata Knight Riders, mentor Gautam Gambhir is the frontrunner to take over as India's head coach from Dravid. Gambhir's return to KKR as mentor for IPL 2024 coincided with them winning the coveted T20 trophy.
As per the report, even the BCCI is keen on Gambhir taking up the challenging role and is pushing hard to convince him. Interestingly, in a recent interaction with Sportskeeda, the KKR mentor stated that his and the team's next objective is to make Kolkata Knight Riders the most successful franchise in the IPL.
Meanwhile, according to a report in news agency PTI, the BCCI is in no hurry to announce the next head coach and is prepared to wait even though the May 27 deadline has passed. A BCCI source was quoted as telling PTI on the condition of anonymity:
"The deadline is fine, but the BCCI brass wouldn't mind taking some more time before reaching a decision. Right now, the team will be busy with World T20 for the better part of the month of June. After that, seniors will be rested from tours of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, where any of the NCA-based senior coaches can accompany the team. So what's the hurry."
The report also added that NCA head coach VVS Laxman was BCCI's first choice to replace Dravid, but the former expressed his unwillingness to take up the role.
Sourav Ganguly's advice to BCCI over choosing head coach
Former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly tweeted on Thursday, May 30 and shared some advice for the Indian cricket board with regarding to appointing Dravid's replacement. Ganguly wrote:
"The coach's significance in one's life, their guidance, and relentless training shape the future of any person, both on and off the field. So choose the coach and institution wisely."
It may be recalled that Ganguly didn't enjoy his association with one of India's former coaches Greg Chappell.
The two were involved in an ugly spat in the open. Ironically, it was Ganguly who had recommended Chappell's name for the role of India's head coach after John Wright's contract ended.
Virat Kohli's childhood coach suggests MS Dhoni's name for new India coach
Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma believes that MS Dhoni would be a good choice as India's next coach if he announces his retirement from IPL and is willing to take over the role.
According to Sharma, Dhoni will have respect in the dressing because of his achievements and the manner in which he handled big players during his tenure as India captain. Sharma told India News:
"Dhoni will have more respect in the dressing room and he has played this format for a long time. Being able to plan for the team and manage it properly, is most needed in the team because when Dhoni became the captain, there were big players in that team like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid... Despite this, Dhoni handled the team brilliantly."
Dhoni was part of IPL 2024 and played for Chennai Super Kings through injury. However, there's no official confirmation over whether or not he would retire before the next IPL season.
BCCI denies approaching Australian cricketers for coaching role
Over the past couple of weeks, the names of Australian legends Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer had been doing the rounds as potential candidates to replace Dravid.
In fact, Langer even claimed that he decided against applying for the position after KL Rahul told him that managing the Indian team is thousand times more difficult that being part of an IPL franchise.
The BCCI, however, dismissed all talk of Australian players being approached for the role of India's next head coach. BCCI secretary Jay Shah was quoted as saying in media reports:
"Neither I nor the BCCI have approached any former Australian cricketer with a coaching offer. The reports circulating in certain media sections are completely incorrect. Finding the right coach for our national team is a meticulous and thorough process. We are focused on identifying individuals who possess a deep understanding of the Indian cricket structure and have risen through the ranks."
Apart from Langer and Ponting, Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming's name was also doing the rounds in media reports. However, he too expressed unwillingness to take up the post if offered.
