5 Front runners to be appointed the coach of the Indian team

The Indian cricket team is looking for a head coach and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is making sure they get a guy who fulfils most of the criterion they have in mind. The board will shortlist from among the 57 candidates who have applied for the job and then forward the list to the advisory panel of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman to further filter it. The final call will be taken at the BCCI’s working committee meeting on June 24.

While it was initially reported that the board is keen on hiring someone who knows Hindi to connect better with the players it was later clarified that the candidate with a better record on other aspects could make the cut despite the language barrier. Skipper MS Dhoni had also said, “More than Hindi, English, one who understands our culture and our upbringing, the one who understands these sort of things, he will always be better with us,”

The BCCI had also stated that: “preferred candidate should be qualified through a certification/assessment program conducted by any of the Full Member countries, and currently possess such a valid certification.” which almost disqualifies Anil Kumble who has also filed his papers.

Now there are a lot of names floating around not just Indian but also a few former overseas players and coaches are said to be in the race. Here we try to enlist the 5 front runners one among whom might join: Ajit Wadekar, Sandeep Patil, Madan Lal, Anshuman Gaekwad, Kapil Dev, John Wright, Greg Chappell, Gary Kirsten and Duncan Fletcher in the list of head coaches of the Indian team.

1. Ravi Shastri:

There are 57 applicants but one guy most would agree has the best chance of making the cut is Ravi Shastri. The former India team director had a great stint with the team and though they didn’t win a major title under him despite playing a couple of ICC events (World Cup 2016 and World T20 2016) the feedback of the players, the seniors and the rookies backs Shastri’s claim. Both the skippers MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have praised him on every time they have had the opportunity and that definitely counts since the BCCI will have them on the table when they sit to pen down the name. Ravi is known to be a man who believes in his lot and likes to instill that confidence in the players. Unlike the traditional coach that believes in sweating it out to extract the best of the results Ravi Shastri is known for his pep talks and yes they work!

Also read – Ravi Shastri wants six support staff retained if chosen as India’s coach

2. Sandeep Patil:

His exploits with the Kenya team back in 2003 made him a more familiar name in the country than his days with the cricket bat in hand. Sandeep Patil played 29 Tests and 45 ODIs for India along with 130 first-class and 73 list A matches. He ticks most boxes required to take up the role of the coach and his experience along with the vision he developed in the depths of Indian cricket after taking over as the chief selector a couple of years ago. Patil has a good rapport with the board and that definitely adds a lot of weight to his contention.

3. Pravin Amre:

A man known for his stupendous skills as far as batting technique is concerned Pravin Amre hasn’t really been in the lime light but has made substantial contribution to Indian cricket over the years. Most batsmen in the Indian team look up to him and seek his help whenever heading on a tough tour. Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina and others have visited him time and again to iron out the flaws in their batting techniques and Amre has done that with great success. He understands the game, the players and has a great bonding with the biggest names in Indian cricket having been a pillar they took support from. He has been the coach of the Mumbai Ranji team twice; Amre has also been the assistant coach of the Delhi Daredevils team in the last couple of seasons. Even if the BCCI decide against picking him for the top job, it would be a huge positive for Indian cricket if Pravin is roped in as a part of the coaching staff. Batting coach would be an ideal role for him.

4. Venkatesh Prasad:

Former Indian pacer and bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad has applied for the post of the head coach as well. Prasad has been into coaching since 2006 and has an experience of coaching the Under-19 team, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh; he has also been a part of the coaching staff of a couple of IPL teams in the past. Having led the Indian pace bowling attack along with Javagal Srinath in the 1990s Prasad has of late been associated with the KSCA and had previously also applied for the post of the head coach of the Sri Lankan team.

Also read – Dav Whatmore among the 57 applicants for India coach role

5. Balvinder Singh Sandhu:

Ravi Shastri’s 1983 World champion teammate Balvinder Singh Sandhu is also in the race for the role of the head coach of the Indian team. The former medium pacer has an experience of around 25 years and has coached Mumbai, Madhya Pradesh, Baroda and the now defunct ICL teams. He sounded confident after filing his application and said, “Yes, I have applied for the job. I did it last evening and I am quite confident, although I know that Ravi Shastri is the front-runner.” Sandhu is also credited to be the one who introduced video analysis for bowlers while he was serving as the coach of the Mumbai team.