10 cricketers who can replace Ravi Shastri if he steps down as Team India head coach

As per the latest recent reports the current Indian team head coach Ravi Shastri is likely to depart after the 2021 World T20. Even his support staff especially both the batting and the bowling coach are also in talks with the IPL teams to migrate themselves after their current tenure ends. Now, with the entire coaching setup reportedly deciding to part ways with the current Indian team, the BCCI soon has to find an all-new coaching setup after the conclusion of the 2021 World T20.

Under Shastri and his team’s coaching stint, team India has had an impregnable run where they have eventually emerged as a powerhouse of international cricket. Even in terms of their overseas endeavours, captain Kohli and his men have become a heavyweight that can triumph in any of the adverse conditions.

Here are 10 former cricketers who can replace Ravi Shastri as Team India’s head coach:

1. Lalchand Rajput

It was under Lalchand Rajput’s presence that team India had won the T20 World Cup glory in 2007. Since the team didn’t have a proper head coach at that time, Rajput was appointed as a manager to look after MS Dhoni and his boys in that competition. While later on Gary Kirsten had successfully taken the reigns, Rajput was then eventually hired as a head coach of Mumbai Indians in the inaugural edition of the IPL. 

Besides these coaching endeavours, Rajput had also successfully coached the Afghanistan cricket team from 2016-17 where the nation also achieved its full membership status from the ICC. Further, the Mumbai-based cricketer was also assigned the role of head coach of the Zimbabwe cricket team back in 2018. 

Overall, while Lalchand Rajput as a former India cricketer had barely played some international cricket, he has a plethora of experience even in terms of coaching India under 19 team along with helming a few sides in various global T20 leagues. Apart from all this, Rajput was also one of the shortlisted candidates who had got previously chosen during the head coach selection process in 2019.

2. Virender Sehwag

Back in 2017, Virender Sehwag had interestingly applied for a coaching stint and had unfortunately just fallen behind the current head coach Ravi Shastri. Although till today he possesses a modest coaching record of being the former head coach of the KXIP franchise, his distinctive way of playing and approaching the game has often been found insightful by many fans and ex-cricketers.

Even while working now as an expert or a commentator, Sehwag is known to come up with many witty opinions and views that are often noteworthy and extraordinary. Many even analyze that Sehwag as a coach will altogether bring a different element and zeal to this Indian dressing room as just like Virat Kohli even he is also a very instinctive personality. 

Overall, while lately, Sehwag hasn’t revealed any further plans to serve as a head coach, it will be interesting to see whether the legend again applies or not. 

3. Tom Moody

Australian coaches always seem to have a knack for making their teams bag World Cup glories and with Tom Moody right now being into the coaching mix, he looks to be well stacked for team India. To talk about his exponential coaching resume, Moody was the head coach of the Sri Lanka team that had just fallen short against the Australians in the 2007 World Cup final. 

Further, during his seven-year stint with the SRH team, the Australian had guided the franchise to its first IPL title in 2016 along with establishing them as a regular visitor of all the recent IPL playoffs. Perhaps, with the orange army also being well known to bring out the best from the least of its resources, mainly its Moody and his coaching team who are responsible for such an exemplary pursuit. Overall, while a few of the past foreign coaches have struggled to connect well with local Indian players, Moody’s style of coaching seems to be the other way around. 

Besides the above two successful stints, the former Aussie all-rounder has also served as a director of cricket for the CPL and the Big Bash team Melbourne Renegades in 2014. Even in the realm of global T20 Leagues, Moody has coached teams like Multan Sultans in PSL, Rangpur Riders in BPL along with also currently serving as director of Sri Lankan cricket. Hence, as usual, if this ingenious Australian applies for the upcoming position then yet again he can be a frontrunner for the post.

4. Rahul Dravid

While Rahul Dravid is yet to speak about his plans regarding the upcoming coaching stint, there already seems to be a part of BCCI that wants him to take up the job. Even a lot of ex-cricketers have positively opined to appoint him as a team’s next head coach, especially based on his prosperous tenure during his India A stint. 

With team India also getting profusely stacked with an upcoming set of players who have already played under Dravid, it certainly then further raises his demand to potentially helm. Both his player management and technical skills seem to be highly honed as the crop of upcoming players from the India A setup already looks ready for international cricket.

Apart from his India A stint, Dravid had also coached the RR team in the IPL and overall seems to be the right candidate who specifically knows how to bring out the best from various contrasting individuals. Hence, by all means, he does look like a healthy candidate to potentially replace Ravi Shastri.

5. Robin Singh

Ever since his retirement in 2001, Robin Singh has coached various teams from all across the globe. His first-ever coaching stint had begun with the Hong Kong team in 2004 after which he became India A coach. Further, after his India A stint, he was appointed as the fielding coach of the national Indian team till 2009. 

Even in the IPL, the former Indian all-rounder had begun as a head coach of the Deccan Chargers franchise, after which he moved to join the MI setup. Robin Singh has performed various coaching roles but it was under his head coach regime that MI had successfully started to consistently qualify into the playoffs. 

Further, with regards to all other the global T20 Leagues, he has coached Khulna Division in the BPL, Barbados Tridents in the CPL along with his other profusion of coaching stints in the SPL and the T10 League. Besides all of the above, Robin was also appointed the director of UAE cricket in 2020, along with having experience coaching the USA’s Women’s cricket team back in 2011. Hence, no wonder why back in 2019 he was instantaneously shortlisted during BCCI’s previous selection process.

6. Trevor Bayliss

Trevor Bayliss’ head coach record is an unmatched proposition. Although the Australian cricketer had never managed to play international cricket, he seems to be the best in business when it comes to making teams triumph especially in white-ball cricket.

To sum up his journey, Bayliss had first coached the Sri Lankan team from 2007-2011 where Sri Lanka had successfully reached the finals of 2009 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup. After his departure from Sri Lankan cricket, he coached the KKR franchise in which the purple army eventually bagged their first two IPL glories in 2012 and 2014. And with his infamous coaching stint with the England team, Bayliss had joined the setup immediately after the 2015 World Cup debacle.

While his greatest pursuit as a head coach will be the 2019 World Cup win for England, Bayliss has also coached other teams both in IPL and in BBL. Overall, if the BCCI does prefer to pursue a foreign coach then surely Bayliss can be an exciting candidate, if he applies. However, with regards to his current age of almost 59, the eligibility criteria of a coach being under 60 years of age might be against his candidature.

7. Mahela Jayawardene

Even Mahela Jayawardene after his retirement in 2015 had immediately taken up coaching as his next profession. The cricketer promptly started his coaching stint as a batting consultant for England till 2016 T20 World Cup after which he formed his well-renowned association with the Mumbai Indians. 

Ever since joining the MI setup in 2017, Mahela has delivered three IPL glories that have made him rise as one of the eminent names in the coaching setup. Although the former Sri Lankan legend is yet to coach an international cricket team, many other sides of various Global T20 Leagues have taken him on board to helm their cricket. 

Overall, while Mahela had previously denied even to coach his home team, Sri Lanka, it will be interesting to see whether the legend looks to apply for team India’s upcoming head coach post. However, as of now, he has also committed to work as a consultant of the Sri Lankan U-19 team for the 2022 U-19 World Cup.

8. Simon Katich

After his retirement in 2014, Simon Katich had switched to football where was found working with the GWS Giants of the AFL. But with an opportunity to become an assistant coach of the KKR setup in 2016 had immediately brought him back to cricket, which also then influenced him to take up coaching as the next career option.

While Katich’s stint at the KKR setup was considerably brief, the Australian is now helming the RCB franchise for the past two years. Perhaps by working in the company of Mike Hesson and skipper Virat Kohli, Katich as a head coach had rejuvenated the red army with an immediate playoff qualification in IPL 2020. Even in IPL 2021, RCB seems to be one of the strongest contenders to lift the upcoming title. 

Overall, while Katich has been very vocal about enjoying his coaching stints in the IPL, he is still in due to take up any coaching position of an international team. Especially with his coaching resume also being in the work-in-progress mode, the BCCI’s eligibility criteria might refrain the Australian from applying as it requires a candidate to at least coach an IPL team for a minimum of three years. Hence, while there is no doubt that skill-wise he is well equipped to coach any team, it’s only the eligibility rules that might abstain his potential application.

9. VVS Laxman

For many years now, VVS Laxman has been an integral part of the SRH coaching setup, especially with his role of mentoring closely making him work with players from all around. Even the domestic players who have substantially emerged from the SRH coaching setup have highly praised Laxman’s style of coaching that has considerably improved their game. Both in terms of man-management and technical knowledge, Laxman seems to have oodles of skills to offer. 

With Laxman also being an individual who stays in the background rather than hogging the limelight does make him a soothing candidate to have in the Indian dressing room. While closely working as an analysis expert with Star, Laxman has sharply analyzed Indian cricket, which in many ways makes him well aware of team India’s all functions and defaults. Overall, he does look like a fitting personality who can keep the entire dressing room intact because of his gentlemanly aura. 

Hence, if the legendary cricketer decides to put his hat in the ring then definitely he can become a worthy replacement.

10. Wasim Jaffer

If the BCCI strictly wants to select only Indian candidates then even Wasim Jaffer can apply for the job. In terms of his experience, Wasim had served as a batting coach of the Bangladesh cricket team along with serving a similar position in the PBKS franchise as well. 

His oodles of the first-class cricket experience also got him an appointment of a head coach job in the Uttarakhand state team, which unfortunately got ended because of some controversial reasons. After his exit, Jaffer is now the head coach of the Odisha state team.

All in all, being someone who HAS already been active in Indian domestic cricket for the last two decades makes up an impressive candidacy for the upcoming head coach position.