BCCI offers to extend Rahul Dravid's stint as head coach

In a move that signals continuity, the BCCI has offered Rahul Dravid an extension to continue as India's head coach. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Dravid was approached by the BCCI last week, with the tenure of the extension being open-ended.

However, it is yet to be confirmed whether Dravid has accepted the offer. It is learned that one crucial reason the BCCI was keen on sticking with Dravid was to ensure continuity to the structure he had put in place over the past two years, which might have otherwise got disrupted had a new head coach been appointed.

But if Dravid does take up the offer, his first assignment in his second stint will be India's tour of South Africa, which starts with the white-ball leg from December 10 - there will be three T20Is and ODIs each - and will be followed by two Tests, in Centurion (from December 26) and Cape Town (from January 3). Then there is the five-match Test series against England at home, before the T20 World Cup in June.

Dravid had replaced Ravi Shastri after the T20 World Cup in 2021, getting appointed for a two-year term which ended with the ODI World Cup recently, where India finished as runners-up. That was the joint-best finish for India at ICC events under Dravid as coach, after they had also lost to Australia this June in the World Test Championship final. Before that, India were beaten by England in the semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup.

If Dravid continues, it is also expected that he will retain the same set of assistant coaches he had joined hands with in 2021: Vikram Rathour (batting coach), Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach), and T Dilip (fielding coach).

Speaking after the World Cup final defeat, Dravid had said he was proud that India were ranked No. 1 across the three formats, although the absence of a global trophy was a "disappointment". Asked more than once if he would want to continue in the job, Dravid said he had not thought about it at all, having been consumed in preparing for the World Cup.

"I haven't thought about it. I have no time to think about this, and no time to reflect on this," Dravid had said. "I will when I get the time to do that. But at this point of time, I was completely focused on this campaign. It was focused on this World Cup, and there was nothing else on my mind. And I haven't given any other thought to what happens in the future."