New Delhi: Former India skipper Rahul Dravid hailed his appointment as head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team by the Indian cricket board (BCCI) on Wednesday as an “absolute honour.”
Dravid takes over from Ravi Shastri, whose term ends after the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup. Dravid, who was working as the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), has been appointed for a time span of two years till the 2023 50-over World Cup in India. Dravid’s innings will commence with the home series against New Zealand later this month.
“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,” Dravid said in a BCCI press release.
The 47-year-old, one of the greatest to have played for India, was the only choice for BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah, who had called him in Dubai and convinced him to apply for the position. He was unanimously appointed by the Cricket Advisory Committee comprising of former international cricketers Sulakshana Naik and R.P. Singh.
“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,” he added.
Dravid’s former India teammate and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly welcomed Dravid’s appointment as the Head Coach. “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 on the international stage. I am hopeful that his new stint will take Indian cricket to new heights,” Ganguly said.
