“Dravid Departs as Coach to Spend More Time With Family, New Coach to be Named Soon”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah has revealed that Rahul Dravid opted to resign from his role as Team India's head coach in order to focus more on his family commitments. Dravid informed Shah of his desire to step down after steering the team to a historic T20 World Cup victory last month in Australia.
Shah said that Dravid felt it was time to prioritize his personal life over his professional duties with the national team. “He told me that due to family commitments he wanted to move on from the head coach position,” Shah disclosed. The BCCI respected Dravid's decision not to renew his contract and did not try to persuade him to continue for another term.
Under Dravid's guidance, India reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup and went one step further by lifting their second T20 World Cup trophy. His contributions to Indian cricket over the past 5 years both as a former player and coach will not be forgotten. However, it seems the non-stop travelling and time spent away from his loved ones became too difficult to manage over the long-run.
An announcement regarding Dravid's successor is expected soon. The Cricket Advisory Committee has shortlisted two candidates and will make a final selection after reviewing their applications and interviewing both prospects. The new coach will assume charge starting with India's upcoming tour of Sri Lanka comprising 3 T20Is and as many ODIs from July 27th.
Shah also said that the transition phase in Indian cricket is well underway with the recent retirements of stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja paving the path for new talents. India's impressive bench strength means the team has enough depth to field competitive sides even for multiple tournaments simultaneously. A new era in the team's history is set to begin under fresh leadership both on and off the field.
