Rahul Dravid all set to take over as full-time coach of Indian cricket team

New Delhi, Oct 16 (PTI):
India’s batting stalwart Rahul Dravid is all set to take over as the national cricket team’s head coach following the T20 World Cup in the UAE, having agreed to the BCCI’s offer after initial reluctance.
The 48-year-old Dravid, one of the greatest ever to have played for India, has been in charge of the India A and U-19 set-up for the past six years and a lot of players such as Rishabh Pant, Avesh Khan, Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari, and Shubman Gill have come through the system prepared by him. He currently heads the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. “Yes, Rahul has agreed to coach the Indian team till 2023 World Cup. Initially, he was reluctant but it is understood that president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah had a meeting with Rahul on the sidelines of the IPL final where they were able to convince him,” a BCCI official told PTI on conditions of anonymity. “It won’t be an interim role,” he added.
Dravid’s trusted lieutenant Paras Mhambrey is expected to be the bowling coach while Vikram Rathour is likely to continue as batting coach. However, it is understood that the BCCI will nonetheless give an advertisement for the position to ensure that due process is followed. Having seen Ravi Shastri achieve a lot of success, the BCCI was always keen on appointing an Indian coach but there were only a few of stature.