India head coach Rahul Dravid will continue to serve as the head coach of the side along with his support staff after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) extended the contract of the men's team coaching staff on Wednesday.
Reacting to the development, former India opener Gautam Gambhir backed the decision keeping in mind next year's T20 World Cup in West Indies and the USA. Under Dravid's second tenure, the T20 World Cup will be the major highlight apart from the World Test Championship matches against South Africa and England.
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“It’s a good thing because the T20 World Cup is around the corner. It's what 7 months away. You don’t want to change the entire support staff and it is good that Rahul has accepted it. Hopefully, we can continue to dominate and play good cricket, what India has done for a quite a long period of time,” Gambhir told ANI.
Dravid led the Indian team to the WTC final, ODI World Cup, Asia Cup 2023 title and also made them the no. 1 ranked side across formats. India also made a semifinal exit in last year's T20 World Cup in Australia after facing a humiliating 10-wicket defeat against England in Adelaide.
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After a much-needed break following the loss against Australia in the World Cup title clash in Ahmedabad, Dravid will continue his coaching duty with the tour of South Africa in December. India are scheduled to play three T20Is, three ODIs and two Tests, starting on December 10.
After that India will host England for the five-match Test series to begin the home leg of the World Test Championship 2023-25.
"The last two years with Team India have been thoroughly memorable. Together, we have witnessed the highs and lows, and throughout this journey, the support and camaraderie within the group have been phenomenal. I am genuinely proud of the culture we have set in the dressing room. It's a culture that stands resilient, whether in moments of triumph or adversity. The skills and talent that our team possesses are phenomenal, and what we've stressed is following the right process and sticking to our preparations, which has had a direct impact on the overall result," Dravid said after accepting the contract extension.