In a big development, a BCCI source confirmed that former India skipper Rahul Dravid will be coaching the Indian cricket team for the India Vs Sri Lanka ODIs and T20Is in July. According to the source, the National Cricket Academy (NCA) coach will be leading the limited-overs team for the Sri Lanka tour, with Ravi Shastri, Bharat Arun and Vikram Rathour away in England for the Test series.
“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 India ‘A’ boys. The comfort the youngsters share with him will be an added advantage,” an official BCCI source told was quoted as saying.
This will be Rahul Dravid’s second stint with the Indian cricket team who had last picked his brain when he served as the batting consultant during the England Tour in 2014. Before taking over as the head of NCA in 2019, Dravid has worked with several of Team India’s young guns at the U-19 level and India ‘A’ Team who have credited him for his expertise. His academy has been known to produce a strong backbone for the Indian cricket team producing the likes of Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Shubman Gill and Prithvi Shaw.
The Indian team for the Sri Lanka tour is expected to be selected by the end of May after which the boys have to undergo a lengthy quarantine in the country. India will play against Sri Lanka in 3 ODIs on- July 13, 16 and 19 and in T20Is between July 22-27.
