File image of Ravi Shastri© Twitter
For India’s upcoming white-ball series against New Zealand, head coach Rahul Dravid and his team of coaches including Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach) and T Dilip (fielding coach) have been given a break and in their places, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman would be overseeing the proceedings. This is not the first time, that Dravid has taken a break, as he had also not toured Ireland as the Test series against England was around the corner.
Rahul Dravid had overseen the proceedings in Australia where India managed to reach the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, but a loss against England knocked them out.
Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has said that he is not in favour of coaches being given breaks as the rest during two-three months of the IPL is enough.
“Very good question, I do not believe in breaks because I want to understand my team, I want to understand my players and I want to be then in control of that team. I mean these breaks, what do you need them for,” said Shastri during a select media call organised by Prime Video.
“You get 2-3 months off during the IPL, that’s enough time for you to rest as a coach, other times, I think the coach should be hands-on, whoever he is,” he added.
After the series against New Zealand, comprising three T20Is and three ODIs, Team India would tour Bangladesh for three ODIs and two Tests. Against New Zealand, Hardik Pandya would lead in T20Is while in ODIs, Shikhar Dhawan would don the captaincy hat.
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