The competition is fierce for the position of India's new men's cricket head coach. However, one prominent figure, MS Dhoni, is not eligible to assume the role once Rahul Dravid steps down following the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup. The primary reason for this disqualification is that any candidate vying for the position must have retired from playing in all formats of the game. Despite Dhoni's retirement from international cricket in 2020, he continues to participate in the IPL for the Chennai Super Kings, rendering him ineligible for the head coach position.
As one of India's most beloved cricketers, Dhoni has garnered significant support on social media for his potential appointment as Team India's new coach. Nevertheless, his ineligibility for the role does not preclude his future involvement with the team. It is worth noting that Dhoni served as a mentor to the Indian team during the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, where India faced an early exit in the group stages.
Speculation regarding Dhoni's retirement post-IPL 2024 remains unsubstantiated, especially considering his current good form. In the most recent IPL season, Dhoni maintained an impressive strike rate of over 220 and was dismissed only thrice in 11 innings.
The deadline for applications for the position of head coach of the Indian national cricket team closed on Monday. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had made a public Google form available for interested candidates to submit their applications. Over 3,000 applications were received in total.
Unfortunately, many of the applications turned out to be fake, with names such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar being used as hoaxes, as reported by the Indian Express.
Among the legitimate applicants, Gautam Gambhir, the mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders who recently led the team to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) victory, has emerged as a potential candidate. Speculation has also surrounded the possible candidacy of Stephen Fleming and Ricky Ponting.
Despite the rumors and speculation, the BCCI has not yet revealed the final list of candidates under consideration for the prestigious position.
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