BCCI secretary Jay Shah reveals why Rahul Dravid didn't want to extend his tenure as India head coach

Rahul Dravid guided India to ICC T20 World Cup 2024 win.

Jay Shah, BCCI secretary, has revealed why Rahul Dravid declined the offer of extending his tenure as Indian team head coach. Dravid, who took over as head coach in 2021 from Ravi Shastri, already had his contract extended after the 2023 World Cup.

Dravid was handed a six-month extension as BCCI wanted him to continue till the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Under Rahul Dravid, India made it into the final of the 2021-23 World Test Championship, and the 2023 World Cup, while they won the Asia Cup 2023.

Jay Shah spoke about Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach and revealed that the former India captain declined extension due to family commitments.

“He told me that due to family commitments he wants to quit and we respect his decision. I didn’t force him to extend. Rahul bhai has served Indian cricket for the past five and a half years. He was director of the National Cricket Academy for three years and then for the past two and half years, he served as head coach of Team India,” said Shah to reporters.

Shah also discussed the decision to extend Rahul Dravid’s coaching term following the final loss in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

“Rahul Dravid’s role is as important as Rohit Sharma in this T20 World Cup title triumph. He is a man, who took the team to the 2023 ODI World Cup final and didn’t wanted to leave because he wanted to finish the job,” he said.

Jay Shah confirms India team will have a new coach from the Sri Lanka series onwards

Meanwhile, India’s next assignment will be the T20I tour of Zimbabwe and the staff of the NCA including VVS Laxman will be doing the duties of coaching staff. Laxman will be the head coach while Sitanshu Kotak will be the batting coach. Shubman Gill will captain the Indian team in five T20Is beginning from July 6, which is filled with IPL stars.

Shah has said that the Indian team will have a new head coach from the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka starting later this month but refrained from naming the successor.

“CAC has interviewed and shortlisted two names and after reaching Mumbai whatever they have decided we will go by that. VVS Laxman is going to Zimbabwe but a new coach will join from the Sri Lanka series,” he said.

The Indian team is due to tour Sri Lanka for three T20Is and three ODIs starting July 27.

Shah went on to say that the shift has begun gradually with the retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja, and that India may have three distinct teams in three separate tournaments.

“We have the biggest bench strength, only three players from this team are going to Zimbabwe. We can field three teams if the need arises and the transition has already happened with three greats retiring,” he said.

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