Cricket legend and former Captain Rahul Dravid was the top contender to take over the post of Team India’s head coach back in 2017 but he declined the offer, revealed Vinod Rai, the Chairman of now defunct COA.

After Anil Kumble’s tenure as coach of the Indian Cricket team came to an abrupt end in 2017, following his fallout with Captain Virat Kohli. Ravi Shastri was appointed as the Coach of Indian Cricket Team.

But instead of Shastri, COA wished for Dravid to take up the post,  but the former batsman, who was already serving as coach of the India A and Under-19 teams, decided otherwise.

Rai said that Dravid was very upfront with them. He said, ‘look I have two boys growing up at home and I have been travelling with the Indian team all over the world and I am not able to give time and attention to them, I think I must stay at home also. And give time to my family.’ I think that was a very fair request and though he would have been uppermost in mind. So, he was very much in the zone of consideration,” Rai added.

Dravid was last year appointed the National Cricket Academy chief. Rai revealed the former India batsman was more than happy to accept the role. “Dravid is a head coach at NCA. He was very kind and very gracious in accepting that and committing himself to the NCA,” he said.

However, Shastri who applied for the job after BCCI invited the application for the Second time, did face competition from likes of Virender Sehwag and Tom Moody during the interview process. Shastri's contract was renewed last year and he is set to continue as head coach till 2021 T20 World Cup.