Rahul Dravid confirmed that the ongoing ICC Men’s Twenty 20 World Cup will be his last tournament as the head coach of the Indian team. He has categorically stated that he will not apply for the position for which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had advertised last month.
“It is going to be the last one that I am in-charge of,” Dravid said ahead of India’s first game against Ireland in New York. “Yeah, just considering, unfortunately, the kind of schedules and where I find myself at this stage in my life, I don’t think I’ll be able to re-apply. So yeah, obviously it’ll be my last one. But having said that, it’s (the significance of the tournament is) no different for me.”
Dravid was specifically answering a question if he looked at the World Cup as an ‘extra special’ event, given that it will be his last tournament at the helm of the Indian team. “I love doing the job. I’ve really enjoyed coaching India and I think it’s a truly special job to do. I enjoyed working with this team and it’s a great bunch of boys to work with,” he further said.
Dravid took over the reins of the Indian team from Ravi Shastri in November 2021, incidentally, after the end of an ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Dubai and has since overseen a Twenty20 World Cup in 2022, a World Test Championship final in 2023 and a 50-over World Cup in the same year. The World Cup in October-November last year was expected to be his last event as India coach but he agreed to stay on till this event.
Under Dravid, India won 14 of the 17 bilateral T20I series, including in England and New Zealand. During his reign, India also won 10 of the 14 ODI series and 6 of the 8 Test series.
“To be very honest, I don’t see this as anything particularly different or significant. It’s from the first day I took the job. I always felt that every game was important and every game mattered. And that will not change,” he said.
Dravid’s announcement comes amid serious speculation that Gautam Gambhir is being considered by the BCCI to succeed him. Gambhir, who guided Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title recently, said he is ready for the job if offered.
“I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour. You are representing 140 crore Indians and more across the globe as well, and when you represent India, how can it get bigger than that? It is not me that will help India win the World Cup, it is 140 crore Indians who will help India win the World Cup,” Gambir publicly said recently.
Gambhir is yet to confirm if he has applied for the role, the last date for which was May 27.
