In a significant changing of the guard within Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid, the current head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, has reportedly expressed disinterest in renewing his coaching contract, prompting speculation that VVS Laxman is primed to succeed him in the role. This development comes as Dravid’s tenure concluded after the one-day international World Cup’s curtain call last week, according to undisclosed sources in conversation with NDTV on Thursday.
The recent World Cup witnessed India falling short of securing the coveted trophy, with Australia denying them glory in a highly-anticipated final. Post-tournament, whispers within cricketing circles have amplified regarding Dravid’s reluctance to continue as the national team’s coach.
VVS Laxman, the National Cricket Academy chief seen by many as Dravid’s former teammate and an accomplished former India batter in his own right, seems to be the chosen successor. Laxman has already been penciled in as the interim head coach for the impending five-match T20 International series against Australia, commencing this Thursday.
Dravid, whose coaching journey began in 2021 subsequent to India’s premature exit from the T20 World Cup in UAE, has overseen the Indian team’s impressive strides in the global cricketing stage. Under his guidance, the team made commendable progress, reaching the finals of both the ICC World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup. However, the ultimate accolades remained elusive, with Australia playing the role of vanquisher in both finals. In addition, India made it to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup last year, bowing out to England, the eventual champions.
Despite these setbacks, there have been noteworthy triumphs. Dravid’s leadership was instrumental in India clinching the Asia Cup title earlier this year. Nonetheless, queries regarding his future as head coach swirled after the team’s loss to Australia, to which Dravid has yet to commit a clear answer.
“I haven’t thought about it. I’ve just come off a game. I had no time to think about this and no time to reflect on this. Yeah, I will when I get the time to do that,” said Dravid during the post-match media conference, addressing the uncertainty surrounding his coaching future.
While the coaching saga unfolds, the Indian cricket team prepares to walk out onto the pitch at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vizag for a face-off with Australia in the first match of the T20I series later today.
The transition at the head coaching position marks a new era for the Indian cricket team, as it looks to build upon the foundation laid by Dravid and continues to chase global dominance in the sport. With the World Cup 2023 on the horizon, fans eagerly await official announcements and are encouraged to follow updates on the sport.
For the cricket aficionados, they can keep tab of the situation through social media channels like Facebook and Twitter for real-time updates. The more tech-savvy followers have the option of downloading the NDTV Cricket app on their Android or iOS devices to get access to not only the updates but also to schedules and exclusive content. As this development unfolds, the cricket world watches with bated breath as one legend potentially passes the baton to another, both united in the goal of bringing glory to their nation’s cricketing achievements.