A NEW COACH WILL JOIN TEAM INDIA FROM THE SRI LANKA SERIES: JAY SHAH

NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will announce the appointment of a new head coach for the Indian cricket team ahead of the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka starting later this month.

While the identity of the new coach remains undisclosed, former opener Gautam Gambhir is widely expected to replace Rahul Dravid. BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed the news, revealing that the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) had interviewed and shortlisted two candidates.

"Both coach and selector appointments will be made shortly," Jay Shah was quoted as saying by PTI. "CAC has interviewed and shortlisted two names and after reaching Mumbai whatever they have decided we will go by that. VVS Laxman is going to Zimbabwe but a new coach will join from the Sri Lanka series."

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The CAC shortlisted former players Gautam Gambhir and former India women's coach WV Raman for the high-profile position. The Indian cricket team will tour Sri Lanka for three T20Is and three ODIs, beginning on July 27.

Jay Shah, who is currently in the Caribbean with the Indian squad following their recent T20 World Cup victory, praised key players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both played essential roles in the final against South Africa, leading India to a seven-run victory. Sharma and Kohli have since announced their retirement from T20 international cricket, with all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja following suit a day later.

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"It was the same captain last year and here in Barbados," Shah commented. "We won all games except the final in 2023 as Australia played better. This time we worked even harder and played better to win the title. If you look at other teams, experience counts. From Rohit to Virat, all excelled. Experience makes a lot of difference, in World Cups you can't experiment much also. A good player knows when to say goodbye to the game, we saw that yesterday. You look at Rohit's strike rate, it is better than a lot of young players."

Touching on Hardik Pandya's performance in the World Cup and his potential role as captain, Shah noted that leadership decisions would be confirmed after discussions with the selectors. "Captaincy will be decided by the selectors and we will announce it after discussing with them. You asked about Hardik, there were a lot of questions over his form but we and selectors showed faith in him and he proved himself."

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Shah addressed the transition in the team following the retirement of such significant players. "Transition has already happened with three greats retiring," he added.

India, which has faced a series of disappointments in big finals over the past decade, broke their title drought with the recent T20 World Cup victory. Jay Shah expressed optimism about maintaining this winning momentum.

"I would want India to win all the titles," Shah expressed. "We have the biggest bench strength, only three players from this team are going to Zimbabwe. We can field three teams if the need arises. The way this team is progressing, our target is to win the World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there."

While plans for a felicitation ceremony for the victorious squad are underway, they have been delayed due to a hurricane warning that has shut down the airport in Barbados.

"Like you, we are also stuck here," Shah said. "Once the travel plans are clear, we will think about the felicitation."

Shah also confirmed that an India A team would tour Australia later this year, in preparation for the five-Test series Down Under.