Rahul Dravid set to take over as coach of Indian cricket team after T20 World Cup

Rahul Dravid, one of the greatest ever to have played for India, has been in charge of the India A and U-19 set-up for the past six years. (File image)

In a major development in Indian cricket, former skipper Rahul Dravid has agreed to become the head coach of the men's national cricket team.

He is all set to take over the role following the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), scheduled to be held from October 17 to November 14, having agreed to the offer of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after initial reluctance. The country's batting stalwart will replace outgoing head coach Ravi Shastri.

The 48-year-old Dravid, one of the greatest ever to have played for India, has been in charge of the India A and U-19 set-up for the past six years and a lot of players such as Rishabh Pant, Avesh Khan, Prithvi Shaw, Hanuma Vihari, and Shubman Gill have come through the system prepared by him.

Dravid currently heads the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru.

"Yes, Rahul has agreed to coach the Indian team till 2023 World Cup. Initially, he was reluctant but it is understood that president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah had a meeting with Rahul on the sidelines of the IPL final where they were able to convince him," reported news agency PTI citing a BCCI official.