The final of the World Cup against Australia turned out to be a heartbreaker for Team India, marking not just the end of the tournament but also the conclusion of an era. Reports reveal that head coach Rahul Dravid is ‘not keen’ on extending his two-year contract with the Indian team following the ODI World Cup 2023. Current NCA director VVS Laxman is in prime position to replace Dravid as head coach.
Several sources within the BCCI have confirmed this decision to TOI, indicating a significant change in leadership for Team India. Rahul Dravid is expected to be succeeded by his close friend VVS Laxman, the current head coach of a second-string Indian team participating in a five-match T20I series against Australia in Vizag.
VVS Laxman, who also heads the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, has expressed a keen interest in taking on the role. He is anticipated to sign a long-term contract as the head coach of Team India, with his first assignment likely to be the upcoming tour of South Africa.
End of Rahul Dravid term and start of VVS Laxman era!
The defeat in the World Cup final against Australia seems to have played a pivotal role in Rahul Dravid’s decision to step down as the head coach. This marks the end of a remarkable two-year stint, during which India experienced various highs and lows under Dravid’s leadership.
“Laxman has expressed his keenness for the job. During the World Cup, Laxman travelled to Ahmedabad to meet the BCCI’s top bosses in this regard. He’s likely to sign a long-time contract as the Team India coach, and will certainly travel with the team in that capacity for the upcoming tour of South Africa, which will be his first as the full-time India head coach,” a source in BCCI told TOI.
“Dravid has communicated to the BCCI that he isn’t keen to continue as a full-time coach. For close to 20 years, he has travelled with the Indian team as a player, and for the past couple of years, he again went through the same grind, which he doesn’t want to undergo. He’s fine with a role at the NCA as the head there (a role he previously served in), which will allow him to stay back in his hometown Bengaluru. Like earlier, he’s fine with coaching the team sporadically, but not again as a full-time coach,” the source addded.
With the coaching baton passing to his former teammate, VVS Laxman, there is anticipation and curiosity among fans about the direction Team India will take under the new coaching regime. The first T20I against South Africa is scheduled for December 10, and the team is expected to depart by December 4.
Rahul Dravid’s coaching tenure included noteworthy achievements, such as triumph in the Asia Cup, reaching the ODI World Cup final, and winning Test series against Australia, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand. However, the World Cup final loss proved to be a turning point, prompting Dravid to reconsider his role.
As the Indian cricketing community bids farewell to Dravid’s coaching era, the appointment of VVS Laxman brings a fresh perspective to the team. The upcoming South Africa tour will be closely watched as the beginning of a new chapter in Indian cricket unfolds.
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