“Rahul has done well for India as a coach…”: Mohammed Kaif
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 2 (ANI): Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Kaif recently lauded current Indian head coach Rahul Dravid for his commendable performance, particularly during the last 50-over World Cup, where India reached the finals. With Dravid’s contract nearing its conclusion after the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is actively searching for the next head coach to lead the team until the 2027 50-over World Cup.
Kaif, in an interview with ANI, stated, “This will be decided by BCCI, this is a very long process. Rahul Dravid did a good job. India reached the 2023 World Cup final, winning 10 consecutive matches and losing only one game. So Rahul has done well for India as a coach.”
Dravid took on the role of head coach in November 2021. Under his guidance, the Indian team won the Asia Cup title in 2023. However, they have yet to clinch a major ICC trophy, with significant losses including the semifinals of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 to England, a heavy defeat by Australia in the ICC World Test Championship final in 2023, and a narrow six-wicket loss to Australia in the 50-over World Cup final at home, following a streak of ten consecutive victories up to the semifinals against New Zealand.
The Indian team now aims to end their decade-long ICC trophy drought by winning the current ICC T20 World Cup. Their campaign begins on June 5 against Ireland at the newly constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York. The much-anticipated match against Pakistan is scheduled for June 9. India will also face the USA on June 12 and Canada on June 15, wrapping up their Group A matches.
India’s squad for the T20 World Cup includes:
Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh
Jasprit Bumrah and Mohd. Siraj. Reserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, and Avesh Khan.
The team is determined to win their first T20 World Cup title since the inaugural tournament in 2007. Their previous attempt in the 2022 edition saw them fall short against England in the semifinals. With a well-balanced squad and strong leadership, India hopes to reclaim their position at the top of T20 cricket and secure a long-awaited ICC trophy.
As the BCCI considers the future of the Indian coaching role, Dravid’s contributions and potential successors will be central to discussions. The next head coach will have the critical task of building on Dravid’s foundations and steering India towards more significant victories on the global stage.