DNA Explainer: How the Indian cricket coach is chosen and who are the frontrunners to replace Ravi Shastri

With head coach Ravi Shastri set to part ways with the Indian Men’s Cricket Team, speculation is rife and search is on for the new head coach. A decorated cricketer and now a decorated coach, Ravi Shastri is set to complete a second two-year term in November.

To win at @HomeOfCricket as a player and coach is something very special. Thanks a ton guys for making it happen. Enjoy the moment #TeamIndia #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/w341MD78y5

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) August 17, 2021

Shastri replaced head coach Anil Kumble in 2017 as the man in charge of Kohli and Co.’s coaching needs. In 2019, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) decided to renew Shastri’s contract till 2021.

Last week, it was reported that the head coach and members of his support staff like the Indian bowling coach Bharat Arun, fielding coach R Sridhar and batting coach Vikram Rathour will not remain with the men’s cricket team after the ICC T20 World Cup scheduled to be help in October-November 2021, in the UAE.

The selection process for Ravi Shastri's replacement is expected to begin in the upcoming months. 

How the Indian cricket team’s head coach is selected?

In 2019 after the end of Ravi Shastri’s first term as head coach, BCCI had revealed the selection criteria for the cricket team’s coaching stuff.

Streamlining the criteria from a nine-point requirement in 2017, BCCI released a three-point requirement for the head coach and support staff in 2019.

To be eligible to apply for the position of the head coach, candidates had to fulfil the age requirement of being less than 60 years old. Candidates were required to have experience of coaching at the international level for a minimum of two years. The candidate were also required to have international playing experience of at least 30 Test matches or 50 One Day Internationals (ODIs).

Criteria for support coaches remained the same except the requirement to have played lesser number of matchers at 10 Tests or 25 ODIs.

The process of scrutinizing candidates and choosing the coach is undertaken by a Cricket Advisory Committee that is established as directed by the Committee of Administrators (CoA), which is appointed by the Supreme Court of India.

In 2019, the CAC included former cricketers Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy. The CAC interviewed candidates and finalised their decision based on the following five parameters:

• Coaching philosophy
• Experience of coaching
• Coaching achievements
• Communication
• Knowledge of modern coaching tools

Who will replace Ravi Shastri?

Another decorated cricketer, Rahul Dravid, who is currently the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), was seen as the favourite to replace Shastri as the head coach.

Dravid had been in charge of the Indian cricket team for the Sri Lanka tour where he served as the head coach for three T20Is and ODIs each. However, recent reports opine that Dravid has no desire to take up the role and is looking to continue in the capacity of the NCA head.

If Rahul Dravid prefers to be NCA chief, who all in the running now to take over from Ravi Shastri as chief coach?

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) August 19, 2021

Among the contenders could be Lalchand Rajput, who was Team India’s manager during the historic T20 world cup victory in 2007. He has been the head coach of the Mumbai Indians IPL team and the Zimbabwe cricket team. While Rajput doesn’t have as much playing experience at the international level as the last two head coaches, the Mumbai-based former player has extensive coaching experience. Rajput was also among the shortlisted candidates in the selection process of 2019.

Mike Hesson, who serves as the Director for Cricket Operations for IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore was among the final three shortlist alongside Shastri and Australian former cricketer Tom Moody. However, Hesson hasn’t taken up a national coaching role since resigning as New Zealand’s longest serving coach in 2018.

Other names that could eventually be in the fray are former star cricketers like Andy Flower of Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene, and Indian legend Virender Sehwag.

As per a recent report, the current Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour could very well emerge as favourite to take over from his current boss Ravi Shastri. Rathour has been a part of the national team set up for some years now and reportedly shares a good relationship with the Indian players and captain Virat Kohli.