Former India captain Rahul Dravid is on his second coaching stint with the Indian cricket team and has landed in Sri Lanka for the six-match white-ball series, which kicks off in the 3rd week of July. Since the Ravi Shastri-headed coaching staff is in the UK, the BCCI appointed Dravid to look after the senior team for the white-ball fixtures.

Dravid’s maiden stint with the national team came in 2014, when he toured the UK for the England series. He worked with India A and U-19 teams from 2015 to 2019. The ICC Hall of Famer is now the head of the National Cricket Academy.

For now, Dravid has been appointed for only a one-off series as Shastri will be back at the helm of affairs for the T20 World Cup 2021. The ICC event would be Shastri’s last series with the national team as his contract ends later this year.

While Dravid will be a strong contender to replace Shastri after his departure, former India all-rounder Reetinder Singh Sodhi believes that he (Dravid) will surely be the next head coach of the Indian cricket team. Speaking to India News Sports, Sodhi opined that Dravid’s appointment isn’t temporary and he is in line to become the next India coach.

“First of all, we have to acknowledge that Ravi Shastri has done a great job as coach. And yes, his contract is coming to an end. But let’s think about it… a temporary arrangement and that too Rahul Dravid? I think it’s virtually impossible. If he is going to Sri Lanka as the head coach, somewhere it’s a clear indication that he is in line. If there’s anyone that can replace Ravi Shastri as coach, that person in Rahul Dravid,” Sodhi said.

A member of Mohammad Kaif-led U-19 team which won the Junior World Cup in 2000, Sodhi shared the dressing room with Dravid at the international level. He played 18 ODIs for the Men in Blue.

It is to be noted that Dravid was the COA’s first-choice candidate for the post of Team India’s head coach but he denied the top job in 2017. Dravid, if he joins the race this year, will be a strong contender to replace Shastri.