The 2024 T20 World Cup will mark the end of an era in Indian cricket as Rahul Dravid's stint as Team India head coach will come to an end after two and a half years in the top job. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has started the process of appointing a successor as they invited applications for the top job on Monday (May 13) with a deadline of May 27.While Indian cricket legend and National Cricket Academy Head of Cricket VVS Laxman has been largely seen as a top contender for the job for many years, another name that has emerged as a top contender to take up the job is Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephan Fleming.
According to a report by the Indian Express, the BCCI considers Fleming a 'suitable candiate' to replace Dravid due to his man management skills and the success rate at CSK, which has seen him in charge of the franchise in each of their five IPL title wins under MS Dhoni's captaincy. It is also reported that senior players in the Indian team will prefer a coach of Fleming's 'pedigree and technical knowledge.'
The published information states that it remains to be seen if Fleming applies for the Indian cricket team head coach job, as BCCI has mandated that the new coach be in charge of all three formats of the game, unlike the approach taken by Pakistan and England. This will require Fleming to spend 10 months a year traveling with the national team.
Fleming is the longest serving coach in the IPL, having taken charge of CSK in the second season of 2009. He is also currently the head coach of both the Joburg and Texas Super Kings in the SA20 and Major League Cricket, as well as the Southern Brave in the Hundred. He was also the head coach of the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League from 2015 to 2019.