VVS Laxman, Stephen Fleming and other candidates who could succeed Rahul Dravid as India head coach

Two of the biggest talking points in Indian cricket right now are the race to the playoffs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as the Men in Blue’s preparations for the upcoming T20 World Cup that takes place in the month of June.

There’s also the topic of the head coach of the men's team that might not be receiving as much attention at the moment as the other two, but remains crucial to India’s plans going forward. Former India captain Rahul Dravid’s contract with the BCCI comes to an end after the conclusion of the World Cup, and he can reapply for the job should he choose to.

Also Read | What does it take to become Indian cricket team's head coach?

Whether he takes up the high-pressure job that involves plenty of travelling around the world for the next two-to-three years remains to be seen.

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There are also a number of former cricketers, some of whom have excelled in the role of coaching, whos names are being discussed as potential successors to Dravid.

We take a look at some of these names below, keeping in mind the fact that BCCI will be hiring a coach for all formats, and not split red and white-ball duties:

VVS Laxman

The Indian batting icon currently serves as the Director of the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and is widely considered a favourite to succeed Dravid, the man with whom he had shared the famous 376-run partnership at the Eden Gardens in 2001. Laxman is perhaps the most familiar with the current batch of Indian cricketers after Dravid, with a number of them undergoing rehab at the NCA under his supervision.

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Laxman has also overseen the development of the India A and India U-19 cricket teams, and thus will be familiar with players who are expected to debut during his reign as coach should he get the job. Laxman’s also coached the Indian team when Dravid chose to take a break, including in last year’s tour of Ireland and the Hangzhou Asian Games two months later.

Stephen Fleming

Fleming is among the most respected names among coaches in the modern era which is primarily due to his long association with the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.

The former New Zealand captain had taken up the job of coaching CSK in 2009 after representing the ‘Yellow Army’ in the inaugural IPL season, and has made for one of the most successful captain-coach combinations in T20 cricket along with MS Dhoni — the two helping the Super Kings reach nine finals, winning the title on five of those occasions.

Whether he beats Laxman to the job or not remains to be seen. However, if the India head coach was selected on the basis of a fan poll, the ex-Black Cap sure would have the edge.

It’s not just CSK that Fleming coaches — he’s also involved with the Joburg Super Kings and Texas Super Kings, CSK’s sister franchises in the SA20 and Major League Cricket. He has also coached the Southern Brave in The Hundred, helping them win the inaugural edition.

Justin Langer

Justin Langer, who currently serves as head coach of the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL, had previously been the coach of the Australian men’s cricket team between 2018 and 2022, during which he helped the side reach the semi-finals of the 2019 ICC World Cup in England besides winning the 2021-22 home Ashes 4-0. With India set to travel to Australia for a crucial marquee five-Test series, Langer might just be the right person to guide them to a third consecutive series victory Down Under.

The former Australian opener is known for being a shrewd tactician but also quite the hard taskmaster. Should he take up the India coaching job, Langer will hope to carefully manage the taskmaster part without going overboard, lest he be seen as another Greg Chappell.

Gautam Gambhir/Ashish Nehra

Gautam Gambhir doesn’t have as much of a coaching experience as the aforementioned names, and has served as mentor of LSG in the IPL before joining the Kolkata Knight Riders this season.

Gambhir was quite successful a leader durng his playing career, leading KKR to two IPL titles, it’s his excellent man-management skills combined with a sharp cricketing brain that has also helped him succeed as a mentor, with LSG reaching back-to-back playoffs during his tenure and KKR currently topping the group in the IPL and becoming the first team to qualify for the playoffs.

A similar case could be made for Gambhir’s ex-India and Delhi teammate Ashish Nehra, who unlike Gambhir has actually served in the role of a head coach in the IPL — guiding Gujarat Titans to back-to-back IPL finals with all-rounder Hardik Pandya at the helm.

However, it remains to be seen if Gambhir and Nehra apply for the job given how crucial they are to their respective franchises. GT had suffered the blow of Pandya leaving the franchise and being traded to Mumbai Indians, so they’ll be extra cautious of parting ways with Nehra. Gambhir’s arrival at KKR has also led to a revival of fortunes for the two-time champions, so owner Shah Rukh Khan will be a little hesitant in letting him leave so quickly.