NEW DELHI (TIP): Former cricketer Virender Sehwag on Friday became the most notable applicant for the Indian cricket team’s chief coach’s post, which would be technically vacant when Anil Kumble’s term comes to an end after the Champions Trophy. While Kumble is an automatic entry into the process, the others in the fray are Australian Tom Moody and Englishman Richard Pybus, who has coached Pakistan earlier.

The two Indians among applicants are former fast bowler Dodda Ganesh and former India A coach Lalchand Rajput. Moody and Rajput had applied for the chief coach’s job last year also but it was Kumble, who got the nod. However, the entry of Sehwag — considered one among India’s greatest-ever game changers — makes the battle for the position very interesting.

One of India’s biggest match-winners and a part of two- time World Cup winning team, Sehwag played 104 Tests and 251 ODIs for India scoring 8,586 and 8,273 runs respectively.

While he doesn’t have any prior coaching experience apart from mentoring IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab recently, it was the BCCI top brass that convinced him to apply for the post.

It’s the same kind of scenario when Ravi Shastri seemed all set to be retained as coach and Kumble was asked to throw his hat in the ring at the eleventh hour. The BCCI joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary today on record denied any rift between Kumble and captain Virat Kohli.

However, the fact that a player of Sehwag’s stature has applied gives enough indication that everything is not right in the Indian dressing room.

Sehwag will only apply when he knows that he is a serious contender for the top job. It will be interesting if Kumble finally appears for the interview knowing that Sehwag had applied for the post.

However many in BCCI feel that Sehwag,who is also a social media sensation, may demand an astronomical salary and then Moody, who gave a good presentation last time also, could come into the fray.

Source: PTI