BCCI Needs MS Dhoni's Help For Convincing Stephen Fleming To Take Up India's Head Coach Job

The Deadline for applying for the position of Head Coach of the Indian men's cricket team is 27th May and BCCI has reportedly approached Former India and CSK Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to convince Stephen Fleming to apply for the job. (More Cricket News)

Former New Zealand captain and current CSK coach, Fleming is considered a very close friend of MS Dhoni and has been coaching CSK since the first edition of IPL in 2008. He has helped CSK win five IPL titles under Dhoni's leadership.

Considering his record with CSK and how well he manages players and their workload, BCCI is very keen to have him in the race for the Head coach's job. Since Fleming has not yet applied for the role, BCCI has approached Dhoni for help in convincing Fleming to answer in the affirmative.

Hindustan Times quoted a BCCI source, “Fleming hasn’t said no. He has expressed his concerns about the tenure of the contract, which is nothing unusual. Even Rahul Dravid wasn’t keen in the beginning. He was persuaded. It shouldn’t be a surprise if the same thing happens with Fleming. And who better than MS Dhoni to do the job?”

Fleming was busy with CSK when the BCCI released a statement asking for applications to apply for the role of India Head Coach. However, now that CSK has been knocked out of the ongoing IPL, BCCI officials found it a perfect time to discuss the role with Fleming.

The new India Head Coach's tenure will start from 1 July 2024 to 31 December 2027. The tenure will start right after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and end after the 2027 50-over World Cup. The coach will have to spend most of his time with the team and in India which is a major concern for the former Kiwi captain.

Fleming currently coaches four different T20 teams worldwide, yet he still manages to prioritize quality time with his family.

BCCI had earlier approached Gautam Gambhir also for the role. Many legends of the game are interested in the job. The major ones who are competing in the race for the head coach job are Mahela Jayawardene, VVS Laxman and Justin Langer. Recently the legendary spinner Harbhajan Singh has also expressed his desire to do the job "if asked".

The selection process for the head coach's job will include a thorough review of applications, followed by personal interviews and assessments of shortlisted candidates. As per BCCI guidelines, the potential head coach should have certain qualifications.

The eligibility criteria are as follows:

- Should have played a minimum of 30 Test Matches or 50 ODI's or been the head coach of a full member Test playing nation for a minimum period of 2 years.

- Or, should have been the head coach of an Associate member/Indian Premier League (IPL) Team or equivalent international league/first class teams/national A teams for a minimum period of 3 years.

- Or, should have BCCI Level 3 Certification or equivalent, and should be below 60 years of age.