Rahul Dravid’s contract as head coach of the Indian team has been extended with immediate effect till the conclusion of the Twenty20 World Cup. He will travel to South Africa with the Twenty20 team and depart as early as 5 December.
Sources familiar with the talks between Rahul Dravid and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the past few days have confirmed the extension period. Dravid has been informed that his contract will be reviewed after the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and America.
The T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin on June 3 and end on June 30. As a result, Rahul Dravid extended tenure will last till the end of June. Similar conditions are expected to apply to other support staff members as well.
From the BCCI’s point of view the extension was never in doubt, especially after India’s commendable performance in the World Cup, where they displayed a distinctive brand of cricket, with the primary focus being on getting Dravid’s nod.
It is known that Rahul Dravid was initially a reluctant coach who needed some convincing. Although there is a possibility that Dravid will not accept an extension after the Twenty20 World Cup, members of his support staff may be considered for further extensions. At present BCCI has got some time on this matter.
Selection committee meeting tomorrow
The selection committee is scheduled to meet on Thursday to finalize the teams for the upcoming South Africa series. The meeting will be held in Delhi on Thursday morning, in which Ajit Agarkar’s committee will select the teams for all formats – T20I, ODI and Test. India is set to play three T20s, three ODIs and two Test matches from December 10 to January 7.
It is likely that most of the players in the current T20 squad playing against Australia will be retained for the shortest format, and with a few exceptions, most of the players who participated in the World Cup will find a place in the ODI squad. There has been speculation that Virat Kohli may quit ODIs which appears to be true, but sources close to him have denied the suggestion that he will quit white-ball cricket indefinitely.
The leadership of the ODI team is unclear, and it remains uncertain whether Rohit Sharma will lead or not; There is a possibility that he may move out. However, Rohit is expected to captain the two Test matches in India. At present, the captain is abroad and was not available for comment.
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