Ind vs SA ODIs: Head coach Rahul Dravid & team withdraw, replacements named

Regular Indian Cricket Team head coach Rahul Dravid and his coaching staff has withdrawn from their coaching responsibilities for the upcoming three-game One Day Internationals (ODI) series between India and South Africa. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has confirmed in this regard on Saturday.

As per sources, Dravid and Co will focus on the inter-squad preparation Test, underlining the significance the board is placing on the two-game Test series.

“Team India (Senior Men) Head Coach Rahul Dravid, Batting Coach Vikram Rathour, Bowling Coach Paras Mhambrey and Fielding Coach T Dilip will link up with the Test squad and oversee their preparations for the inter-squad game and the Test series,” said BCCI in a statement.

As per BCCI, the KL Rahul-led Men in Blue will be coached by the trio of Sitanshu Kotak, Rajib Datta, and Ajay Ratra. The coaching team usually oversees India A. However, they will be promoted interimly to guide Team India in their quest to claim the ODI bouts.

Moreover, the Indian team will also be without senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, after both withdrew from white ball formats of the game for the series. Deepak Chahar will miss the series due to family concerns. Shreyas Iyer will drop out of the squad after the first match to join the Test squad.