Rahul Dravid could be appointed as LSG mentor if he does not extend contract as Team India head coach - Reports
Rahul Dravid's future as Team India head coach looks highly uncertain as he is unwilling to extend his contract, which came to an end upon the culmination of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Earlier reports stated that he is close to agreeing a two-year deal with an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise.
According to the latest report by Dainik Jagran, the franchise has been revealed to be the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Lucknow are in search of a new mentor after Gautam Gambhir switched to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) recently. The report also states that Rajasthan Royals (RR), a franchise Dravid was associated with as a player as well as a mentor, are also vying for his services.
Dravid's return to the IPL depends on whether the BCCI manages to convince him to stay on as the head coach of the Indian team and sign a new contract.
The former India batter is not keen on continuing as the head coach of the Indian team due to the constant travel and the hectic schedule that comes with it. He was asked about his future as Team India's head coach during the post-match press conference following the World Cup final loss, where he stated that he has not made a decision yet.
LSG have already replaced their head coach during the off-season, replacing Andy Flower with former Australia player and coach Justin Langer. Lucknow have also roped in opening batter Devdutt Padikkal in a trade with the Rajasthan Royals, where they had to let go of Avesh Khan.
VVS Laxman is the likely candidate to take over as head coach if Dravid leaves
Current National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman is the frontrunner to take over as Team India head coach should his former teammate opt to not renew his deal with the BCCI.
Laxman is currently in charge of the team for the ongoing T20I series against Australia, with the senior figures and Rahul Dravid on a break following the tedious World Cup campaign.
Laxman was the head coach during Team India's 2023 Asian Games campaign as well as their tour of Ireland, earlier this year.