Rahul Dravid appointed as head coach of Indian cricket team
Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the head coach of Team India
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Former India captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team, BCCI confirmed on Wednesday. Dravid will replace Ravi Shastri in the role and take charge from the upcoming home series against New Zealand Which starts after the conclusion of T20 World Cup 2021.
The Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Ms Sulakshana Naik and Mr RP Singh on Wednesday unanimously appointed Mr Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach of senior men's Indian cricket team.
The BCCI had invited applications for the said position on October 26 and it was learnt that Dravid had applied for the role on the deadline day.
"The Board congratulates Mr Shastri (former Team Director & Head Coach), Mr B. Arun (Bowling Coach), Mr R. Sridhar (Fielding Coach) and Mr Vikram Rathour (Batting Coach) on a successful tenure. Under Shastri, the Indian Cricket Team adopted a bold and fearless approach and performed creditably both in home and away conditions. India climbed to the top position in the Test format and made it to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship in England," BCCI said in it's official statement on Wednesday evening.
India became the first Asian team to win a Test series in Australia (2018-19) and followed it with another series win in 2020-21. India were also the first team to win all 5 T20Is in a bilateral series when it blanked New Zealand 5-0. Under Mr Shastri and his team’s guidance, India won all their seven Test series at home.
Looking forward to working with the players: Rahul Dravid
After his much-awaited appointement, Dravid said that it was an honour to take over the responsibilty from Ravi Shastri, adding that he was hoping to take the team forward in the right direction.
"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. 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 some marquee multi-team events in the next two years, and I look forward to working with the players and the support staff to achieve our potential," Rahul Dravid said.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has praised Rahul Dravid and credited him for nurturing the youngsters at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore. Dravid had also coached India U-19 and India A teams in the past.
"The BCCI welcomes Rahul Dravid as the Head Coach of India’s senior men team. Rahul has had an illustrious 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 cricketing talents who have gone on to represent the country at the international stage. I am hopeful that his new stint will take Indian cricket to new heights," Ganguly said.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah also congratulated Dravid for his new role. He has asserted that Dravid will play a crucial role in team's transition ahead of the two upcoming World Cups (T20 World Cup 2022 and 50-over World Cup in 2023).
"There is no better person than Rahul Dravid and I am delighted to see him being appointed as the Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. With two World Cups scheduled to take place in the next two years, it is important to have a seamless transition, and the former India captain is the right man for the job. Having provided the much-needed direction to NCA and overseen the progression 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 under him, the Indian team will dominate in all formats. The Board will soon make appointments of other coaching staff, who will support the Head Coach in jointly achieving our targets," Jay shah said.
