BCCI considering Stephen Fleming to replace Rahul Dravid as Team India head coach - Report

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming to be the next head coach of the Indian men's national cricket team.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Fleming, who has been the head coach of IPL franchise the Chennai Super Kings since 2009, may be a potential successor to Rahul Dravid.

The report further stated that informal discussions have already taken place during IPL 2024 but the 51-year-old hasn’t communicated with the CSK management about any wish to leave the franchise.

According to sources, another reason why Fleming might not apply for the role is because it will require him to be with the team for almost 10 months of the year. The new head coach will be in charge for all 3 formats of the game.

Apart from CSK, Fleming is also the head coach of Joburg Super Kings in SA20 and Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket – both of which are sister franchises of Chennai-based franchise. He is also the head coach of Southern Brave in The Hundred and had coached Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash for four years.

The BCCI on Monday invited applications for the post of Indian men's cricket team's head coach for a period of three and half years as incumbent Rahul Dravid's tenure will end with next month's T20 World Cup in the Americas.

The deadline to submit an application is on May 27, 2024, the board stated in a media release.

"The selection process will include a thorough review of applications, followed by personal interviews and assessments of shortlisted candidates," the release further stated.

The selected new coach will take charge of the team from July 1, immediately after the T20 World Cup in the Americas, and the term will expire on December 31, 2027.

The BCCI stipulated that the candidate, below 60 years age, should have played a minimum of 30 Tests or 50 ODIs and the applicant should have performed a similar role as a full member Test nation for a minimum of two years.

Recently, BCCI secretary Jay Shah said Dravid will have to reapply if he wishes to continue in the job post the T20 World Cup.