Team India head coach Rahul Dravid confirmed that the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup will be his last tournament as the head coach of the Indian team as well. He has also shared that he will not apply for the position for which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had advertised last month as well.

“It is going to be the last one that I am in-charge of,” Rahul Dravid said ahead of India’s first game against Ireland in New York. “Yeah, just considering, unfortunately, the kind of schedules and where I find myself at this stage in my life, I don’t think I’ll be able to re-apply. So yeah, obviously it’ll be my last one. But having said that, it’s (the significance of the tournament is) no different for me.”

Team India did well under Rahul Dravid

However, Dravid was asked if he looked at the World Cup as an ‘extra special’ event, considering that it would be his last tournament as the head coach of the Indian team.

“I love doing the job. I’ve really enjoyed coaching India and I think it’s a truly special job to do. I enjoyed working with this team and it’s a great bunch of boys to work with,” he further shared.

Notably, Rahul Dravid took over the reins in 2021 from Ravi Shastri, incidentally, after the end of an ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Dubai as well. And, he has guided the team in a T20 World Cup in 2022, a World Test Championship final in 2023 and a 50-over World Cup in the same year as well. While the World Cup in October-November last year was likely to be his last event as India’s head coach, he agreed to stay in that position until this event.

Under Rahul Dravid, India won 14 of the 17 bilateral T20I series, including in England and New Zealand. Moreover, India also won 10 of the 14 ODI series and 6 of the 8 Test series as well.

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“To be very honest, I don’t see this as anything particularly different or significant. It’s from the first day I took the job. I always felt that every game was important and every game mattered. And that will not change,” he said.

Gautam Gambhir likely to replace Rahul Dravid

However, Dravid’s announcement came amid the speculation that Gautam Gambhir is being considered by the BCCI to replace him. Gambhir, who guided Kolkata Knight Riders to their 3rd IPL title recently, said that he would love to do the job. But he didn’t confirm whether he had applied for it.

“I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour. You are representing 140 crore Indians and more across the globe as well, and when you represent India, how can it get bigger than that? It is not me that will help India win the World Cup, it is 140 crore Indians who will help India win the World Cup,” Gautam Gambir publicly said recently.