Former India captain and currently the head of National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bangalore, Rahul Dravid is all set to join Team India as a coach for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.
One of the reasons behind Dravid’s appointment is the absence of India’s head coach Ravi Shastri, and other coaches Bharat Arun (bowling), R Sridhar (fielding), Vikram Rathour (batting). All of them will be with the senior men’s Test team for the five-match series against England, that begins in August.
In the non-appearance of star players, a second-string team is expected to visit the Island nation, with most of such players who have already played under Dravid’s coaching with either India U-19 or India A teams in the past. The ODI leg between India and Sri Lanka will start on July 13, and the T20I series shall commence from July 22.
“The Team India coaching staff will be in the UK, and it is best that Dravid guides the young team as he has already worked with almost all of India ‘A’ boys. The comfort the youngsters share with him will be an added advantage,” a BCCI official told ANI.
Additionally, this will be Dravid’s second stint in a coaching position with the senior men’s team. During the 2014 India tour of England, the Karnataka stalwart had travelled with the side as a batting consultant.
The 48-year-old is often credited for his contributions in developing the young talent for Indian cricket. From Prithvi Shaw to Shubman Gill, several youngsters who have made it big for Team India were trained by Dravid at different levels.
Dravid was appointed as NCA chief in 2019 and had been supervising the growth of Under-19 players along with the India A players since 2015.
