Anil Kumble Is The Frontrunner To Take Over NCA After Rahul Dravid's Departure As The Head Coach - Reports

Former Indian captain Anil Kumble could be the next NCA chief after Rahul Dravid departs from the role. After a lot of discussion with the Indian board, Rahul Dravid, who is currently serving as Head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, applied for the role of the Indian cricket team’s head coach.

Rahul Dravid, Paras Mhambrey apply for coaching roles for the Indian team

Along with Dravid, the bowling coach at NCA Paras Mhambrey also applied for the senior team’s bowling coach position.

“Yes, Rahul has formally applied today as it’s the last day of the deadline. His team at the NCA, bowling coach Paras (Mhambrey) and fielding coach Abhay (Sharma), have already applied. His application was just a formality,” a senior BCCI official told news agency PTI.

Dravid is likely to replace Ravi Shastri, whose tenure as India’s head coach ends at the completion of the ongoing T20 World Cup in November.

Along with Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun and fielding coach R Sridhar will also depart from the team management unit.

Anil Kumble is a very good option for NCA Head: BCCI official

The next concern for BCCI is to bring a strong personality to take charge of NCA once Dravid takes the role of the Indian team’s head coach.

If the report from Times of India is to be believed, then the BCCI is keen to have either Anil Kumble or VVS Laxman take up the Head Coach job at NCA.

According to the report, BCCI kept Laxman as their backup plan for team India’s top coach if Dravid refused to take the role.

Laxman was ready to take up the head coach role but seemed unwilling to be NCA head because of shifting himself from Hyderabad to Bengaluru.

With this choice, Kumble remains the only choice for the NCA role, and the Indian board wants to rope him for the same.

“BCCI wants to deploy the services of its greats. Kumble is a very good option, and he is based out of Bengaluru too. He is a tough hard taskmaster, and disciplinarian. The next generation will benefit from him,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by Times of India.

Kumble resigned from India’s head coach position after his infamous spat with Indian skipper Virat Kohli during the 2017 Champions Trophy, which India lost to arch-rivals Pakistan in the final.

Also Read: BCCI Officials Disagree On Anil Kumble’s Return As India Head Coach; Looking For Foreign Options – Reports