Dravid to continue as India A and Under-19 coach

Rahul Dravid will continue in his role as the coach of India A and Under-19 teams for the next two years. Conforming to the recommendations of the Lodha Committee, Dravid's new contract will run for 12 months each year as opposed to the 10-month contract he had previously.

Dravid, as a result, won't continue in his role as Delhi Daredevils' mentor, in accordance with the conflict-of-interest rules. The franchise confirmed the development in a statement. "It was an honour and privilege to have Rahul Dravid as mentor of the Delhi Daredevils over the last two years. We truly enjoyed our association and nurtured some great young talent together. We are sad that he will not continue with us as mentor as he chooses to serve India A as a coach. Being a true servant of cricket, he believes he still has a lot to give back to the game and help nurture young India talent. We wish him all the best."

In a scathing resignation letter, Ramachandra Guha, who gave up his position in the Committee of Administrators (CoA) at the start of this month, had contended that it was "contrary to the spirit of the Lodha Committee" for coaches or support staff of India's senior and junior teams, or staff at the NCA, to have IPL contracts. Dravid subsequently sent a letter to the CoA, asking for clarity on conflict of interest.

"By the BCCI's conflict of interest rules, I was absolutely not under a conflict of interest," Dravid had told ESPNcricinfo. "If the rules have changed midway through the contract, then I think it is unfair to criticise me for breaking the rules or twisting the rules to suit my convenience.

"My simple point is that, not only me but there are five or six of us who are in the same position. There needs to be clarity. If there is clarity, we will be in a position to take an informed decision. It is disappointing the way this got played out in the public without much understanding of the background."

With India's Under-19 tour to England, which starts on July 23, set to clash with the A team's tour to South Africa, which starts on July 26, it remains unclear which will be Dravid's next assignment.

He had taken charge of India's junior teams in 2015, and coached the Under-19 side to the World Cup final in Bangladesh in 2016.

BCCI acting president CK Khanna lauded Dravid's contribution. "Over the last two years, Rahul Dravid has been instrumental in getting young talent into the mix who have proved their worth on the big stage," he said. "We are glad to continue his services for the next two years and are sure that this is a bright sign for Indian cricket which will see many more young talents coming up in the future."