Ravi Shastri as head coach and Virat Kohli as captain have found great comfort in working together for the betterment of Indian cricket. The duo has established themselves as one of the best pairs going around in world cricket. Under Shastri’s tutelage, India reached the semi-finals of both the 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2019 50-Over World Cup. India managed to defeat Australia in Australia for the first time in 2018-19. It will be interesting to see who will succeed Ravi Shastri as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Stumpsandbails brings you a list of 5 potential candidates who can replace Ravi Shastri as India’s head coach.
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#5 VVS Laxman
When the going gets tough, the tough get going, this adage suits well with legendary cricketer, VVS Laxman. He always upped his game when the team needed him the most. His innings of 281 against Australia at Eden Gardens, Kolkata arguably changed the course of Indian cricket forever. He has served as the mentor of SRH for all seasons since IPL 2013 and his expertise and motivation have served the Hyderabad franchise quite well. It will be interesting to see if and when Laxman takes up the mantle of head coach, and how the Indian cricket fraternity reacts to this development.
#4 Tom Moody
Tom Moody is one of the most respected coaches going around the cricketing circle. He has had a fair experience playing cricket at the highest level. Moody had a long run as the head coach of the IPL team, Sunrisers Hyderabad. He worked closely with captain David Warner to guide SRH to their maiden IPL title in 2016. If Moody is appointed as the coach of the team he will not only have the respect of the players but also carries a coaching pedigree to take India to greater heights.
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#3 Rahul Dravid
Rahul Dravid was known as “The Wall” during his playing days. He is one of India’s best batsmen who always played the game in the right spirit. Dravid was appointed as India’s batting consultant for the tour of England in 2014. He took up the duties of being the coach of India U-19 and India A side. His band of youngsters won the U-19 World Cup in 2018 and even reached the finals in 2020. There have been plenty of youngsters who have blossomed under Rahul Dravid. The likes of Ajinkya Rahane, Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Rishabh Pant have all thanked Dravid at different stages of their career for the influence he has had on them. One can only imagine what heights the Indian team will reach if Dravid is handed over the head coach duties of the team.
#2 Trevor Bayliss
He is the most sought-after coach in world cricket right now. Trevor Bayliss helped England break their 50-over World Cup drought by winning the 2019 ODI World Cup. Bayliss has won multiple championships with different teams over the years. He was the man in charge when the IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders won two IPL titles. Bayliss guided New South Wales to Sheffield Shield Title in the 2004-05 season and established his coaching credentials. He knows how to win major trophies and that is one area the Indian team needs to improve upon.
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#1 Mahela Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene is one of the giants of the modern game. His astute cricketing brain has reaped rich rewards for the Sri Lankan Team. Cricketing experts consider Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Jayawardene as two of the most brilliant minds in cricket. He took to coaching as a fish takes to water. He has admirably coached high-profile IPL franchise, Mumbai Indians to glory in two successive years. If Jayawardene decides to throw his hat in the ring for coaching the Indian team then it will be difficult to look past him.
