'It will be a fantastic thing': MSK Prasad wants India legend to replace Shastri as coach, hopes Dhoni remains mentor

With Ravi Shastri's tenure as coach of the Indian cricket team set to expire after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup, all eyes are on the next head coach of the Indian team. While a lot of names have been doing the rounds, including that of Anil Kumble and VVS Laxman, there has been no official update as to who is the front runner to take over as the next coach or even the overall contenders.

Former BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad though, knows who he would like to see take over as the next head coach. Prasad, a former India wicketkeeper, who played six Tests and 17 ODIs, feels Rahul Dravid should be the one to replace Shastri along with having MS Dhoni as the mentor. Dravid coached India's limited-overs team during its tour of Sri Lanka in late July, while Dhoni was recently appointed mentor of the Indian team for the T20 World Cup.

Also Read | 'He will see himself as a failure in IPL captaincy': Vaughan says Kohli the skipper at RCB has 'fallen a long way short'

"I would definitely feel that going forward it should be Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni. Rahul more as a coach and MS as a mentor. Dhoni and Rahul in the Indian team will be a fantastic thing to watch out for post-Ravi Shastri's era," Prasad told Times of India.

Dravid has a proven record as coach of India's Under-19 and A teams. He led India to the U-19 World Cup win in 2018 and several other successful tours with the A team. So when the Test team was in England and a limited-overs side was selected to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Sri Lanka, the BCCI's decision to appoint Dravid as its coach sent the entire country in euphoria.

Also Read | 'Didn't want to operate at 80% and be miserable in a team environment': Kohli on decision to step down as RCB captain

Many felt that this could be the stepping stone to Dravid succeeding Shastri as the next coach, although at the end of the series, the former India captain said that even though he enjoyed the experience, he isn't too sure of the road ahead. Dravid was appointed as the director of the National Cricket Academy in 2019 and has been doing a terrific job at it, and if reports are to be believed, Dravid is likely to persist with it.

As far as Dhoni concerned, he is proving in IPL 2021 that his captaincy acumen is still as strong as ever and the belief is that his inputs to captain Virat Kohli would prove beneficial in India winning their first-ever ICC trophy since 2013.