Former legend Rahul Dravid has confirmed that the ongoing ICC Men's Twenty20 World Cup will be his last tournament as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. 

Dravid announced that he will not reapply for the position, which the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) advertised last month.

"It is going to be the last one that I am in-charge of," Dravid said. 

"Yeah, just considering, unfortunately, the kind of schedules and where I find myself at this stage in my life, I don't think I'll be able to re-apply. So yeah, obviously it'll be my last one. But having said that, it's (the significance of the tournament is) no different for me," he added.

The former cricketer was appointed head coach in 2021 for two years, but in 2023, his term was extended until the end of the T20 World Cup 2024. 

Under his coaching, India finished as runners-up in the 2023 Cricket World Cup, the 2023 ICC World Test Championship, and as semi-finalists in the 2022 T20 World Cup.

The news has not come as a surprise, with speculations about former cricketers applying for the role. 

Reports indicate that the BCCI has already approached several candidates, including Gautam Gambhir and Ashish Nehra.

While Gambhir lacks international coaching experience, he has mentored two Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022 and 2023, and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2024. Responding to the rumors about his potential appointment, Gambhir said, "Look, I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour. There is no bigger honour than coaching your national team," Gambhir said during an interaction with children at an event in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. "You are representing 140 crore Indians. And more across the globe as well. And when you represent India, how can it get bigger than that?"

The next head coach of the Indian team will be revealed sometime after the T20 World Cup 2024 ends.