Indian management mulling to change coach, captain of T20I setup: Reports

Indian Cricket Team (Source: Twitter)

India had a shock exit in the recently concluded 20-20 World Cup which was held in Australia in 2022. They scored just 168-6 while batting first in the semi-finals against England. Then they were blown away by a record 170 runs partnership between Jos Buttler and Alex Hales. India failed to conquer their semi-final jinx during World events.

The Indian Cricket Board has finally woken up from its slumber. India won their last 20-20 World Cup title in 2007 which was the inaugural edition. The plan to have a separate captain and coach was mulled upon the board and now the idea seems to be fast-tracked. If the change happens then Rahul Dravid will have to step down as coach from the T20 format.

"We are seriously mulling on it. More than it being Rahul Dravid or anyone's ability, it is a question of managing tight schedules & having specialized skills on board. T20 now is like a separate sport, tough calendar & regular events. We also need to imbibe change. Yes, I can confirm - India soon will have a new T20 Coaching SET-UP", said an Indian Cricket Board official to Inside Sport.

No harm in experimenting in T20 cricket - Harbhajan Singh

"We are not sure by when, but we are certain about India needs fresh approach to T20 SET-UP. We will have an announcement of new captain before January. And new coach can follow, but as I said nothing is final", The official added and did not disclose further details on the matter. As of now, no one has been called to take up the post.

This topic has become a point of discussion in the Indian Cricket circles as it will also help in managing the workload given the current volume of matches that is happening. It is practically impossible for a coach and captain to handle the proceedings across all three formats. Harbhajan Singh and Ravi Shastri also voiced their views on this topic.

"Someone who has played the game more recently is better suited for the coaching job in T20s. I am not saying you remove Rahul from T20. Ashish and Rahul can work together to build this team for the 2024 World Cup," Harbhajan told PTI recently. "I think for T20 cricket, there's no harm in having a new captain, new coach because the volume of cricket is such that for one person to play or manage all three formats of the game is never going to be easy," Shastri said in a virtual news conference.