Rahul Dravid on Monday (June 3) confirmed that he will not be applying for the position of India head coach once again, following the end of the ongoing T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA.

Notably, Dravid was roped in as chief coach in November 2021 for a two-year term, which ended after the conclusion of the 50-over World Cup last year. However, he was given an extension along with his support staff till the T20 World Cup 2024.

The BCCI, in its advertisement last month, mentioned that the tenure of the next coach will be over 3.5 years – July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2027.

Addressing the media ahead of India’s T20 World Cup opener against Ireland in New York, Dravid categorically stated that he will not apply for the job owing to the schedule of the national team.

“It is going to be the last one that I am in-charge of,” Dravid told reporters. “Yeah, just considering, unfortunately, the kind of schedules and where I find myself at this stage in my life, I don’t think I’ll be able to re-apply. So yeah, obviously it’ll be my last one.”

Dravid gave a typically measured response when asked if he sees the World Cup as an ‘extra special’ event, given that it will be his last assignment at the helm of the Indian team.

“It’s no different for me. I love doing the job. I’ve really enjoyed coaching India and I think it’s a truly special job to do. I enjoyed working with this team and it’s a great bunch of boys to work with,” Dravid said.

“To be very honest, I don’t see this as anything particularly different or significant. It’s from the first day I took the job. I always felt that every game was important and every game mattered. And that will not change,” he added.

The deadline to apply for the post of Indian men’s cricket team head coach ended on May 27. While the BCCI has remained silent on the development, Gautam Gambhir’s name is creating a buzz in the media, especially after KKR clinched the IPL 2024 title under his mentorship.

Amid the speculations, Gambhir on Sunday (June 2) expressed his desire to coach the national side if he gets an opportunity.

During his interaction with young sports enthusiasts at Medeor Hospital in Abu Dhabi, Gambhir was asked whether he wishes to coach the Indian cricket team or not.

To which, the 42-year-old replied: “…I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour than coaching your national team. You are representing 140 crore Indians and more across the globe as well and when you represent India, how can it get bigger than that? It is not me that will help India win the World Cup, it is 140 crore Indians who will help India win the World Cup. If everyone starts praying for us and we start playing and representing them, India will win the World Cup. The most important thing is to be fearless.”