The future of Rahul Dravid as the head coach of Team India appears uncertain as he has chosen not to extend his contract. His contract ended after the 2023 ODI World Cup. There were previous reports that he was close to finalizing a two-year deal with an Indian Premier League (IPL) team.
A recent report by Dainik Jagran has revealed the franchise as the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Lucknow is currently looking for a new mentor following Gautam Gambhir’s move to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The report also mentions that Rajasthan Royals (RR), a team that Rahul Dravid has been involved with both as a player and a mentor, is also interested in his services.
Rahul Dravid ‘s comeback to the IPL is contingent on the BCCI convincing him to continue on as the Indian team’s head coach and sign a new contract.
The former India batter is hesitant to continue as the Indian team’s head coach owing to the regular travel and hard schedule that comes with it. During the post-match news conference following Team India’s World Cup final loss, he was asked about his future as head coach, and he responded that he has not made a choice yet.
During the off-season, LSG replaced Andy Flower as head coach with former Australia player and coach Justin Langer. Lucknow has also acquired opening batter Devdutt Padikkal in a deal with the Rajasthan Royals in exchange for Avesh Khan.
VVS Laxman could become Team India head coach if Rahul Dravid steps down
Current National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman is the frontrunner to take over as Team India head coach should his former teammate opt to not renew his deal with the BCCI.
Laxman currently leads the team for the ongoing T20I series against Australia. The senior figures and Rahul Dravid are taking a break after a tiring World Cup campaign.
Laxman served as Team India’s head coach for their 2023 Asian Games campaign as well as their visit to Ireland earlier this year.