Ravi Shastri is front-runner to be Team India head coach, believes Sunil Gavaskar

Courtesy: PTI

New Delhi: Former India captain Ravi Shastri has become the lastest candidate to apply for the post of head coach of Team India as the BCCI and Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) get ready to select the next coach for the team ahead of the Sri Lanka tour.

Legendary India batsman Sunil Gavaskar believes that Shastri is the frontrunner to get the post vacated by Anil Kumble.

Gavaskar told NDTV, "Ravi (Shastri) actually was the one where the turnaround actually started for the Indian cricket team back in 2014. After India lost in England, the BCCI asked him to come in as a team director… suddenly there was a change in the team’s fortunes over a period of time. Now that he’s applied, he’s probably the man who is going to get the job".

"There’s (Virender) Sehwag, (Tom) Moody who has done a wonderful job with the Sunrisers Hyderabad (in the Indian Premier League)… yes there are candidates who are around but Ravi has the experience. Ravi has been with the team before, he seems comfortable with the team,” he added.

"I would imagine the CAC would go back to a person the team feels comfortable with and give him the job," Gavaskar concluded.

Shastri was the director of Team India from 2014 and 2016. It was a successful stint as Shastri led the team to the semi-final of the 2015 World Cup and 2016 T20I World Cup. 

Before Shastri had applied, Virender Sehwag and Tom Moody were the front-runners for the top job.

The CAC - Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman - will be interviewing the candidates on July 10.