As the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sent out invitation for applications to the Head Coach position of the Indian men's cricket team, speculation has been on the rise on the prospective coach who could be at the helm.
NCA Director Laxman leading candidate
With no official word yet with regard to the applicants thus far, the name that has been doing the rounds by and large on social media is that of former India cricketer VVS Laxman.
Laxman has been seen as the frontrunner for the job given his stint as the stand-in India coach whenever head coach Rahul Dravid took a break during his tenure.
Laxman's coaching pedigree
The Hyderabad man was the coach of the Indian team that clinched the gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games where Ruturaj Gaikwad captained the young Indian side.
What works to a great deal in favour of Laxman is the fact that he is the current head of the National Cricket Academy and understands the workings of the system and is well-versed with the long-term vision and goals of the team.
Being the head of the National Cricket Academy has ensured that Laxman has spent enough time interacting and understanding most of the current crop of Indian cricketers.
Justin Langer 'curious' about India coaching job
Laxman's challengers are likely to be some foreign applicants and the chief opponent among them could be former Australia head coach Justin Langer.
There were media reports about Langer's 'curiosity' about the top job in Indian cricket after the BCCI sent out the invite for applications for head coach position.
BCCI open to appointing foreign coach
Langer's credentials as the former Australia coach and his pedigree of having coached Australia for four years and eventually helping them clinch the 2021 T20 World Cup will hold him in good stead if he formally applies.
With the BCCI secretary Jay Shah stating that the board was open to applications from foreign coaches, it opens up the competition.
It is hard to predict who could end up becoming the head coach eventually but if continuity is something that the board is looking at, then Laxman could have the last laugh.
Looking for Dravid's successor
With all three previous coaches, Dravid still the coach till the end of T20 World Cup though, noted former Indian cricketers, there could be a temptation to stick to that template with Laxman's knowledge of the inner workings of the Indian cricket system.
Irrespective of who clinches the position eventually, there will be big shoes to fill replacing the unflappable Rahul Dravid, who coached the Indian team to an ODI World Cup final and the World Test Championship final in 2023.
Tough challenges await new coach
With India touring Australia later this year for a five-match Test series and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and India in contention for the World Test Championship final next year, the head coach will have his hands full.
Coaching the Indian cricket team is probably the most challenging job in world cricket given the expectation and scrutiny from all quarters, be it the fans, media etc.
Making India a world class team which can be a world beating outfit in all formats of the game at home and away should be the ultimate aim of the head coach given the stature India holds in world cricket.
And the new incumbent would have to be someone who is able to straddle through the pulls and pressures of the day-to-day demands of Team India once the season gets rolling post the T20 World Cup.
