Reports | India’s new head coach to be announced on August 16

India’s next coach will be chosen from a group of six shortlisted men: the incumbent, Ravi Shastri, as well as Tom Moody, Mike Hesson, Phil Simmons, Lalchand Rajput, and Robin Singh.

According to a report published by the New Indian Express, the newly appointed BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) will conduct the interviews on 16th, before making their final decision on the same day. The three-member panel – comprising Kapil Dev, Shantha Rangaswamy, and Anshuman Gaekwad – will convene in Mumbai for the interviews.

The Men in Blue, represented by captain Virat Kohli, have remained in favour of Shastri continuing in his role. Reports had earlier suggested that the panel are only looking to appoint new coaches in the specialist areas and that Shastri’s job is secure. 

However, the other five men in the shortlist are serious contenders as well. The two more notable names – Hesson and Moody – have been doing the rounds for a while. Hesson, the former New Zealand coach recently parted ways with the IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab midway through his contract. Among the other candidates, Simmons has had successful periods with Ireland and Afghanistan cricket. Robin served as fielding coach of the Indian team that won the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup. Rajput, who was the head coach at the time, later had stints with Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.