The BCCI opened applications on Monday for the three and a half-year position of head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. Rahul Dravid's term will expire with the T20 World Cup in the Americas next month.
The board announced in a press release that the application deadline is May 27, 2024.
Further, all applications will be duly considered and respected, followed by personal interviews and assessments for the shortlisted candidates. The candidate finally chosen will join the position on July 1, immediately after the T20 World Cup, and will continue in the position until December 31, 2027.
The applicant must be below 60 years of age. Applicants must have played a minimum of 30 Tests or 50 ODIs. In addition, applicants should have served in a similar coaching role with a full member Test-playing nation for a minimum period of two years.
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah confirmed that Rahul Dravid will have to reapply for the position of head coach if he is to continue beyond the T20 World Cup. This places the requirement for Dravid to continue in an awkward position since he has already served the role since November 2021. His original contract was set to end after last year's 50-over World Cup but had been extended because there was no time to appoint a new coach before India's tour of South Africa and the T20 World Cup.
The new coach will take significant responsibilities into his hands: leading the team in all series and tournaments. The engagements include a white-ball series in Sri Lanka, home Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. There are also big-ticket events—a Champions Trophy engagement in Pakistan in 2025, a tour to England later that year, and co-hosting the T20 World Cup with Sri Lanka in 2026. The 50-over World Cup in 2027 has been lined up in South Africa.
A transition phase for the side, with veteran batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma touching their mid-thirties, will be another key challenge for the new coach.
