Ashish Nehra was reportedly approached by the chief selector Ajit Agarkar and the BCCI to take up the role of India’s T20 coach. However, Nehra has refused to take the position of Rahul Dravid, and apparently he turned down a massive contract from the BCCI.
Rahul Dravid’s contract as India’s all-format head coach expired after the World Cup 2023, where India lost the final. Earlier this year, India also lost the WTC Final to Australia and last year were knocked out of the semi-final in T20 World Cup 2022.
In the hope of ending India’s decade-long ICC title drought, with the T20 World Cup next year in the West Indies in mind, the BCCI contacted Ashish Nehra, who coached the Gujarat Titans to two consecutive IPL finals – GT won the IPL 2022 final, but lost the IPL 2023 on the last ball to CSK.
BCCI has offered extension to Rahul Dravid after Ashish Nehra turned down their offer
Given it’s the BCCI, the richest cricket board and one of the richest sporting bodies in the world, and their desperation for an ICC trophy, the offer to Ashish Nehra must have been a hefty one, if the finances were discussed. But it seems Nehra is reluctant to take the job.
A report in The Indian Express said: “The BCCI had approached Nehra after India’s loss in the World Cup final.”
After Ashish Nehra’s refusal, the BCCI then offered Dravid an extension until next year’s T20 World Cup in June.
The report further added, “India captain Rohit Sharma and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar are of the view that Dravid should continue till the next T20 World Cup”.
ESPNcricinfo says that the BCCI wants “to ensure continuity to the structure he had put in place over the past two years, which might have otherwise got disrupted had a new head coach been appointed.”
However, Rahul Dravid has not yet accepted the offer for the extension. If Dravid continues with Team India, then it’s likely that his assistant coaches – Vikram Rathour (batting coach), Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach), and T Dilip (fielding coach). – will remain the same.
India’s next assignment, after the ongoing Australia T20I series, will be a three-format tour to South Africa.
