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Cricket PlayersRahul Dravid likely to coach Indian team on Sri Lanka tour: Report
The tour of Sri Lanka will be Rahul Dravid's second stint with the Indian team after working as batting consultant during the England tour in 2014.
Rahul Dravid, the National Cricket Academy chief, has emerged as the frontrunner to travel with the Indian team as its coach for the tour of Sri Lanka.
In the absence of head coach Ravi Shastri, who will be with the Indian Test squad in the UK for the World Test Championship vs New Zealand and the five-Test series against England, Dravid, a former India A and Under-19 coach is the favourite candidate to take charge of the limited-overs squad that will played ODI and T20Is in Sri Lanka in July, stated a report in ESPNCricinfo.
India will play three T20Is and three ODIs in Sri Lanka between July 13 and 27, and although the squad for it is yet to be announced, it is likely to be a second-string team with as many as 20 senior players being in England.
"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," news agency ANI quoted a BCCI official as saying.
Also, with bowling coach Bharat Arun, batting coach Vikram Rathour and fielding coach R Sridhar also involved in England, the report also suggests that other members of the NCA – including Paras Mhambrey – would also accompany Dravid, with the former India pacer serving as the bowling coach. Like Dravid, Mhambrey has also been in charge of the India A and Under 19 teams as their bowling coach.
As per the proposed FTP, the tour starts with the ODIs first which will be played on July 13, 16 and 19, followed by the T20Is on July 22, 24 and 27. If Dravid does indeed travel with the team, it will be his second involvement with the senior team. Dravid had previously worked with the team as its batting consultant during India's tour of England in 2014.
