"Rahul Dravid's Future as India Coach Hangs in the Balance: Indian Cricket Board Yet to Initiate Talks"

As India's cricketing saga unfolded at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday, the fate of Rahul Dravid and his support staff remains uncertain. The Indian Cricket Board is yet to kickstart discussions regarding the future of the coaching team, whose contracts were set to conclude if India had not emerged victorious in the World Cup semifinal.

The contracts of Rahul Dravid and his support staff were initially aligned with the World Cup duration, and there have been varied opinions within the Indian Cricket Board regarding the way forward. Initially, concerns about Dravid's coaching style were prevalent among his Indian Cricket Board superiors, but the exceptional performance of the Indian team in the World Cup may have shifted those perceptions.

India's dominance throughout the tournament has sparked speculation about a possible contract renewal or extension for Dravid and his team. However, a crucial question looms – is Dravid himself interested in continuing? When he took over as coach in 2021, there was an initial impression that he might be a reluctant coach, and there were suggestions from those close to him that he could voluntarily step down post-World Cup, irrespective of the team's performance. Dravid's current stance on a potential extension remains unknown, as there has been no discussion with him about his future in the last month.

Regardless of Dravid's decision, it is anticipated that members of his support staff, including batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip, are likely to be offered extensions, with details expected to emerge soon.

In the meantime, it has been revealed that coaches from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) under VVS Laxman will take charge of handling the upcoming Twenty20 series against Australia, commencing on November 23. This interim arrangement provides the BCCI with time to finalise decisions on the future of Dravid and his coaching team.

While the Indian Cricket Board has not confirmed a date for selecting the squad for the T20I series, it is anticipated that this will occur on November 20, the day after the final. Subsequently, the match is scheduled to commence in Visakhapatnam two days later.