Will Rahul Dravid Renew His Contract If Offered One After The World Cup?

As is often the case with Indian cricket team head coaches, the future of Rahul Dravid’s tenure is likely to hinge on the team’s performance at the upcoming ODI World Cup. Dravid’s contract expires at the end of the WC but if Team India emerge victors, a renewal might well be in order.

On the other hand, anything short of a summit clash appearance could precipitate his departure, as hosts India are expected to canter to the last-four stage. Either way, it will be interesting to see Dravid’s course of action if the BCCI offers him a new deal. Will he agree to a partial or full extension, or will he choose to step aside?

Some experts feel that ‘The Wall’, if keen, should continue as head coach for the overseas Tests against South Africa and the red-ball series at home versus England after the WC.

Having separate coaches for the white-ball and red-ball formats is not novel to international cricket, with England employing Brendon McCullum for Tests and Matthew Mott for limited-overs international cricket.   

The reduced workload could also help Dravid, who has been given breaks from time to time as constantly being on the road for such a high-pressure job can take its toll.

Ashish Nehra has had great success with Gujarat Titans of late and could be a good pick for the white-ball job, but sources close to the former India seamer say that he is "not interested" right now, with his contract with GT running till the end of the 2025 season.

 "If India win the World Cup, Dravid himself might not want a renewal as he would like to end his stint on a high. But if you ask me, post World Cup, the BCCI should seriously think of having separate coaches for separate formats. They should ask Rahul to continue as the red-ball coach," a former BCCI office-bearer told PTI.   

For now, however, all eyes are on the big event which commences on October 5.

 While the announcement of Dravid as head coach following Ravi Shastri’s exit was met with great cheer and hope from Indian fans, the legendary Indian batter has failed to make an impression so far with the results garnered under his watch in white-ball cricket.

Instead, many have perceived him as someone who is somewhat conservative and reluctant to take tough calls in T20Is and ODIs.

Case in point being the T20I World Cup, where Dravid persisted with Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli despite apprehensions about their ability to keep pace with the shortest format of the game.

Furthermore, the move to keep out Ravichandran Ashwin from the World Test Championship final playing XI did not go down well with many.

Not having a right-arm finger or wrist spinner in the current WC squad or the inclusion of KL Rahul without him proving his match-fitness are decisions that could prove costly.

Though a lot will depend on the team's performance, Dravid’s mentorship is bound to come under the scanner post the marquee event, and a coach with a more hands-on approach might come in handy in the transition phase when some veterans decide to hang up their boots.

There is enough precedence of coaches becoming scapegoats in the wake of their wards’ lacklustre showing in a major event. Dravid himself witnessed that when Greg Chappell was compelled to resign after the 2007 ODI WC debacle, when the former was the skipper.

The proverbial shoe is now on the other foot and Dravid would not want his coaching legacy to be tarnished, like it happened with his captaincy where one poor tournament negates all the good results before that.

When it comes to being at the forefront during the pivotal moments in Indian cricket, luck has never really gone Dravid’s way. Be it during his debut at Lord's in 1996, when fellow debutant Sourav Ganguly scored the ton, or at Taunton, when Ganguly's 183 again overshadowed the stylish right-hander’s  knock. Dravid’s 180 at the Eden Gardens during the historic 2001 Test against Australia was a thing of beauty. It’s just that VVS Laxman's 281 was even more breathtaking.

Under Dravid’s leadership, India successfully chased down targets for a record 17 ODIs between 2006 and 2007, but it was sadly followed up by the side’s most dismal WC performance since 1979.

The time is ripe for Dravid to redeem himself, but for that he will need his players to fire big time.

(With PTI inputs)