'Rahul Dravid can only raise the bar in time to come' - Ravi Shastri hails appointment of India's new head coach

Dravid was appointed as the head coach last week and will begin his two-year term with the impending home series against New Zealand

Outgoing head coach of the Indian team, Ravi Shastri, hailed the appointment of his replacement, saying that the experienced Rahul Dravid can set a higher bar for this "great team".

Photos of Rahul Dravid (L) and Ravi Shastri (R) (HT Collage)

"I think in Rahul Dravid they've got a guy who has inherited a great team and with his stature and experience it can only raise the bar," he said on Monday ahead of the start of the final Super 12 game of the T20 World Cup between India and Namibia in Dubai. The match is his final assignment as the coach of the Indian team.

Dravid was appointed as the head coach last week by BCCI's cricket advisory committee comprising Sulakshana Naik and RP Singh and will begin his two-year term with the impending home series against New Zealand, starting November 17. India will then travel to South Africa in December end for a full series before returning home to host West Indies, Sri Lanka and the Proteas side.

"It is an absolute honour to be appointed as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team, I am really looking forward to this role," Dravid was quoted as saying in a BCCI statement. "Under Mr (Ravi) Shastri, the team has done very well, and I hope to work with the team to take this forward.

"Having worked closely with most of the boys either at NCA [National Cricket Academy], U19 and India A setup, I know they have the passion and desire to improve every day. There are some marquee multi-team events in the next two years, and I look forward to working with the players and the support staff to achieve our potential."

Dravid previously coached India's A and Under-19 team and even reached two finals at U-19 World Cups. Following the tenure, he served as a director of the NCA in Bengaluru for four years.