Former manager Lalchand Rajput joins race for India head coach's job

Mumbai, July 31: Former manager Lalchand Rajput has thrown his hat in the ring for the job of the Indian cricket team's head coach.

Rajput is currently the coach of Zimbabwe team but has shown his interest in the India job after the ICC has suspended Zimbabwe Cricket for government interference.

It has been learnt that Rajput, who was manager of the Indian team that lifted the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007, has sent his application to the BCCI before the stipulated deadline from Dubai airport, while he was on his way to Canada.

The BCCI had invited applications for positions of head coach, batting coach, bowling coach and fielding coach and had set July 30 as the deadline. The former Mumbai opener, who also played for India, has also coached Afghanistan and domestic side Assam apart from a team in the T20 Mumbai League for two years.

A source close to Rajput said if he is not considered for the head coach's position, Rajput has requested the BCCI to consider him for the batting coach. Current coach Ravi Shastri has already got a 45-day extension along with other members of the support staff till India's upcoming tour of the West Indies.

The Indian team's new coaching set-up will be picked up by BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee, comprising World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev, former head coach Anshuman Gaikwad and Shantha Rangaswamy.