Ravi Shastri appointed coach of Indian team till 2019 World Cup

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Ravi Shastri replaces Anil Kumble as Indian cricket team’s head coach. Image Source: BCCI

Internet Desk: After much drama from the evening BCCI finally announced the name of Ravi Shastri as the coach of the Indian cricket team. The board has also appointed Zaheer Khan as the bowling coach of the team. Except them legendary Indian batsman Rahul Dravid will work as a batting consultant on overseas tours. All of them will be the part of the Indian team till the 2019 World Cup. It also brings down the curtains on the coach drama which has been going on for the last one month. An email from the BCCI just before 11 pm on Tuesday confirmed the respective appointments.

Shastri piped Virender Sehwag for the post of new head coach, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed Monday. Shastri will take charge from India’s upcoming three-Test series against Sri Lanka, starting July 26.

Shastri, 55, was chosen by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) that included former captains Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and veteran batting star VVS Laxman. He had initially not applied for the post but when the BCCI extended the deadline for acceptance of applications till July 9 (today), the former skipper jumped into the fray and suddenly became the hot favourite.

Virat Kohli-led Indian team was without a head coach after Anil Kumble resigned from the head coach’s post, terming his relationship with the skipper ‘untenable’.

Ravi Shastri was Indian cricket’s team director from their tour of England in 2014 to the 2016 World T20, where India lost to the eventual champions West Indies.