Ravi Shastri favourite to become Team India head coach

Former Team India director Ravi Shastri seems to be a clear favorite to become India’s next head coach. According to Mid-day, the reason behind it can be Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur and Test captain Virat Kohli’s backing.

Considering the fact that Shastri enjoys good support from the top men concerned with the appointment of the job, the 54 year old will most likely be announced as the head coach soon. Shastri was appointed as the Team Director in August 2014 continued till the completion of the World T20 in April this year.

The former Indian all-rounder took over the job after Duncan Fletcher’s tenure expired following the loss to England in 2014.

His two biggest achievements as Team Director are India’s semi-final finish in the 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand along with Virat Kohli’s Test side winning the an away Test series against Sri Lanka after 22 years.

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However, a few BCCI officials reckon Sandeep Patil too deserves the responsibility since he did a good job with the Kenya team at the 2003 World Cup. It can be recalled that Patil was given only a six-month India tenure in 1996 when he was replaced by S Madan Lal.

Shastri emerging the favourite negates the possibility of former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming coming into the fray. It is learnt that Fleming was backed by Shashank Manohar before the Nagpur administrator quit as president of the BCCI.

Earlier, Shastri had expressed his desire to retain same the support staff with which he had accompanied him when was the Team Director. However, chances are ripe that former India fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad may become that next bowling coach.