The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) formally invited applications for the head coach role on May 13, and the submission deadline date is May 27, the day after the IPL 2024 final. With Rahul Dravid’s tenure likely to end after the T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies in June, it was rumored that the BCCI will consider hiring a foreign coach. Dravid has led the Indian men’s team since 2021, but his upcoming exit has spurred curiosity about possible replacements.
Stephen Fleming, who has had a good stint with the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL, is one of the individuals rumored to be a strong contender for the Head coach role. It had been speculated that Fleming would apply for the Indian coaching position before the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) begins interviewing qualified candidates. Since taking over as head coach of CSK in 2009, Fleming and former Indian captain MS Dhoni have transformed the CSK team into a powerhouse, winning many titles and setting new league benchmarks.
CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan has recently responded to the speculation, stating that he has asked Fleming if he was considering team India’s coaching role. However, Viswanathan expressed that Fleming favors shorter coaching stints and may be unwilling to commit to the full-time responsibilities of the Indian coaching role.
Actually, I got a lot of calls from the Indian journalists enquiring whether Stephen is interested in taking up a job with the Indian team. So, I jocularly asked Stephen, have you applied for the Indian coaching assignment? And Stephen just laughed and said, do you want me to? I know that it’s not going to be his cup of tea because he doesn’t like to be involved for nine to 10 months in a year. That is my feeling. I have not discussed anything more with him,” Viswanathan said in a video posted by CSK.
Former Australia captain and Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Ricky Ponting recently admitted that he had been approached informally by the BCCI during the 2024 IPL and that he had ruled himself out of it.
India’s former opener, Gautam Gambhir and currently the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), is among the leading names in the race for India’s head coach role. Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene has also been reportedly contacted by the BCCI.
