Team India has shown to be a strong opponent in recent years. While skipper Virat Kohli gets the most credit, head coach Ravi Shastri has done a fantastic job keeping the team engaged and going throughout the years. India defeated Australia for the first time in 2018-19 and then again in 2020-21 under his leadership.
The indications are obvious. Ravi Shastri does not appear to be interested in staying on as the Indian cricket team’s head coach beyond the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which begins next month. If accurate, it will bring to a close a four-year relationship that began in 2017 when Anil Kumble resigned under contentious circumstances.
In this article, we look at the contenders who could be the next coach of the Indian Cricket Team.
1. Tom Moody
Tom Moody, a former Australian cricketer, is one of the most well-known coaches in the world. He has a good understanding of Indian cricket, having worked with IPL franchises over the years, and he is no stranger to dealing with famous players. Over the years, Moody’s Sunrisers Hyderabad has been a regular performer. Tom Moody, who is known for his man-management abilities, also helped Sri Lanka reach the World Cup finals in 2007. His recent achievement speaks for itself, and he is one of the finest contenders to succeed Ravi Shastri in that hot chair, given his level of skill and experience. To win the championship, the right-hander will have to overcome a slew of challenges.
2. Rahul Dravid
For almost a decade, the Karnataka-based cricketer dominated the roost on the national stage. He has potential inscribed all over his name on the Indian cricket wall. After collecting 13,000 odd runs in the longest format and 10,000 odd runs in the limited-overs variants of the game, he called it a day. Dravid was asked by the BCCI to take over as head coach in 2016, but he chose to focus on developing the abilities of young cricketers by becoming the head coach of India U-19 and India A. Dravid will lead the Indian second-string squad as head coach for the next tour of Sri Lanka, and speculation has already begun as to whether the former Indian captain may ultimately take over as senior team coach after Ravi Shastri’s term ends. It remains to be seen whether the talisman can work his magic on the senior team in the face of enormous pressures from all sides.
3. Trevor Bayliss
In 2004-05, Trevor Bayliss took over as New South Wales coach from Steve Rixon. He had instant success as he led the team to the Sheffield Shield victory, which he followed up with the limited-overs trophy the following summer. He also has coaching experience with the England and Sri Lanka cricket teams. Bayliss is now one of the finest coaches in the game, with razor-sharp technical analysis and man-management skills.
4. VVS Laxman
VVS Laxman, a brilliant Indian batsman, is another former Indian international who might be a contender for the Indian team’s head coach position. Laxman is a well-liked cricketer in India, and one of the traits that might help him land the job is that he prefers to keep in the background and isn’t one for hogging the spotlight. Following his retirement, he opted to assume the coach’s hat. He has coached the Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen in the IPL. Finally, it has aided the squad admirably in the most crucial aspect of the game’s shortest format. If a chance is given to the 46-year-old in the future years, it will be interesting to watch if he does well or not.
5. Virender Sehwag
In 2017, Virender Sehwag was one of the individuals that applied for a coaching position with Team India. Sehwag had submitted his candidacy for the coveted post at the last minute, but he was ultimately defeated by current coach Ravi Shastri. Sehwag joined Kings XI Punjab as a trainer in 2016 before becoming the franchise’s head of operations in 2019. Despite stepping away from the position, the cricketer-turned-commentator has kept a watchful eye on Indian cricket and shared his opinions on social media.
