Rahul Dravid's tenure as the head coach of Team India concluded with India's defeat against Australia in the final of the ODI World Cup 2023, held at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday (November 19).
Dravid, the former India captain, assumed the role of head coach for the Men in Blue in November 2021, succeeding Ravi Shastri after India's unexpected exit from the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Appointed for a two-year contract by the then BCCI president and his former India teammate, Sourav Ganguly, Dravid guided India to the No. 1 position in all three cricket formats for the first time in history.
The team also reached the finals of the ODI World Cup 2023 and the World Test Championship 2023 but fell short against Australia on both occasions.
Under Dravid's leadership, India achieved significant milestones, including reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2022 and winning the Asia Cup title in 2023.
However, following the conclusion of his two-year contract, Dravid has expressed his unwillingness to continue as the head coach.
According to a report in the Times of India, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now considering appointing Dravid's former India teammate and Test specialist VVS Laxman as the next head coach.
Laxman has previously served as India's head coach in Dravid's absence and recently took charge for the five-match T20I series against Australia.
The TOI report suggests that Dravid has informed the BCCI of his decision not to pursue another full-time coaching stint, and Laxman has expressed his interest in taking on the role.
Dravid is reportedly considering a role at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and may also join an IPL franchise with talks underway for a substantial two-year contract.
However, there is no clarity on whether the contracts of other support staff members, including Vikram Rathour (batting coach), Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach), and T. Dilip (fielding coach), will be extended.
The decision on the new head coach is expected to be made before India's upcoming tour of South Africa next month.
