Former India captain Rahul Dravid is currently in Sri Lanka with the second-string Indian side as a coach for the upcoming white-ball series against the host nation. The appointment of Dravid has given birth to debates whether the Karnataka stalwart can replace Ravi Shastri as the full-time head coach of Team India.
Dravid has already proved his mettle as the coach as he has helped to grow the young Indian talent at Under-19 and India A levels. Several experts and fans have appreciated the 48-year-old for grooming players like Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill and want him to coach the senior Indian team as well.
Former Indian skipper Kapil Dev has also shared his thoughts on the red-hot topic, stating that there is no need to speak about this and people should wait for the Sri Lankan series to get over before drawing any assumptions
Kapil reckoned there is nothing wrong in preparing for the next Indian coach but mentioned that Shastri has done a good job so far, and there is no reason to sack him.
“I don’t think there is any need to speak about it. Let this Sri Lanka series get over. We’ll get to know the kind of performance our team has dished out. If you’re trying to shape a new coach, there’s nothing wrong with it. Then again, if Ravi Shastri continues to do a good job, there’s no reason to remove him either. Only time will tell. Before that, I think it will put unnecessary pressure on our coaches and players,” Kapil told ABP News.
The 1983 World Cup-winning heaped praises on the Indian team’s bench strength. He mentioned if India can have two separate teams that can do well in England and Sri Lanka, then it is the best thing for Indian cricket. However, Kapil also stated that the decision to field two separate teams should only be taken by the team management.
“India have big bench strength. If players get the opportunity and India can assemble two teams that can claim to win in both England and Sri Lanka, there is nothing better. If the youngsters get the opportunity, there’s nothing wrong with it. But if it is up to the team management to decide whether they should apply such pressure on two teams simultaneously,” Kapil added.
