Hyderabad: As expected, the Cricket Advisory Committee, consisting of Sulakshana Naik and RP Singh, unanimously appointed Rahul Dravid as the head coach of Team India (Senior Men) on Wednesday. The former India captain will take the lead in the upcoming home series against New Zealand.
The BCCI on 26 October invited applications for the said post to appoint Ravi Shastri’s successor whose term has expired after the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup.
The Board congratulated Shastri (former Team Director and Head Coach), B Arun (Rula Coach), R Sridhar (Field Coach) and Vikram Rathour (Batting Coach) on a successful tenure. “Under Shastri, the Indian Cricket Team has taken a bold and fearless approach and is performing well in both home and away conditions. “India has climbed to the top of the Test format and advanced to the final of the first World Cup in England,” a BCCI press release said on Wednesday.
Sourav Ganguly, President, BCCI said: The BCCI welcomes Rahul Dravid as the head coach of India’s senior men’s team. Rahul has had a glorious playing career and is one of the greats of the game. He has also served Indian Cricket as Head of National Cricket Academy (NCA) with distinction. Rahul’s effort at the NCA has nurtured several young cricket talents who have represented the country on the international stage. I am hopeful that his new era will take Indian cricket to new heights. “
Jay Shah, Honorary Secretary, BCCI said: There is no better person than Rahul Dravid and I am delighted to see him appointed as the head coach of the Indian Cricket Team. With two World Cups scheduled to take place over the next two years, it’s important to have a seamless transition, and the former Indian captain is the right man for the job. After providing the much-needed direction to NCA and overseeing the progress of the boys at India U-19 and India A level, we believe this is also a natural progression for him as a coach. I have no doubt that the Indian team under him will dominate in all formats. The Board will soon appoint other coaching staff, who will support the Head Coach to achieve our goals together.
Dravid said it was an absolute honor to be appointed as the new head coach of the Indian Cricket Team. “I am very much looking forward to this role. Under Shastri, the team did very well, and I hope to work with the team to take it forward. Having worked closely with most of the boys at NCA, U19 and India A lineup, I know they have the passion and desire to improve every day. ‘There are some multi-team events in the next two years, and I look forward to working with the players and the support staff to reach our potential,’ ‘he said.
Source: Telangana Today