Rahul Dravid to Coach Team India on Upcoming Sri Lanka Tour

Rahul Dravid will be Team India’s coach...get more updates...

Friday, 21st May 2021

Rahul Dravid is all set to coach the Indian team on their upcoming six-match Sri Lanka Tour. This will be Dravid’s second stint mentoring the Indian team, the first being during the England Tour in 2014 when he was appointed the batting consultant.

The chief of the National Cricket Academy has been selected in the stark absence of head coach Ravi Shastri, who will be with the Indian Test squad in the UK for the World Test Championship against New Zealand and the five -Test series against England.

The former India A and Under-19 coach, Dravid is the top pick and a favourite with the selectors to take charge of the ODI and T20Is that will be played in Sri Lanka in July.

Between July 13 and 27, India will play three T20Is and three ODIs in Sri Lanka. While the squad for this forthcoming series is yet to be announced, with as many as 20 senior players in England, it is likely to be a second-string team.

According to a BCCI official, “The Team India coaching staff will be in the UK and it is best that the young team is guided by Dravid as he has already worked with almost all of the India 'A' boys. The comfort the youngsters share with him will be an added advantage.” 

Moreover, with other key members from the coaching outfit, including bowling coach Bharat Arun, batting coach Vikram Rathour and fielding coach R Sridhar, also involved in England, some other members of the NCA will also be seen accompanying Dravid to Sri Lanka. This includes Paras Mhambrey, the former India pacer who will serve as the bowling coach.

Mhambrey, just like Dravid, has also been in charge of the India A and Under 19 teams as their bowling coach. In fact, before taking over the reins of the NCA two years ago, Dravid had been working in close association with the current group of younger players at the U-19 level as well as in the India 'A' team. He is believed to have had a key function in building a solid bench strength for the national team since these past few years.

The tour will commence with the ODIs which will be played on July 13, 16 and 19. This will be followed by the T20Is on July 22, 24 and 27.

The News Talkie Bureau

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