The BCCI yesterday named Ravi Shastri as the new chief coach of Indian cricket team with Zaheer Khan appointed the bowling coach for a period of two years. Meanwhile, the board has also appointed Rahul Dravid as the batting consultant (Test cricket) as India will be playing overseas Test Series in the next two years.

BCCI Acting President C.K. Khanna announced that Shastri would be the new coach of Team India and his tenure will be till ICC World Cup 2019.

It will be third stint with the national team for 55-year-old Shastri, who was earlier a Cricket Manager during 2007 tour of Bangladesh and then Team Director from August, 2014 to June 2016 during which India won overseas Test series against Sri Lanka, reached the semi-finals of 2015 World Cup and World T20 semi-finals in 2016.

It was learnt that there was a fight between Shastri and Virender Sehwag but it was skipper Virat Kohli’s strong recommendation about Shastri’s earlier tenure that swung the deal in favour of former Indian all-rounder. Zaheer Khan, who last played international cricket in 2014, is considered to be one of finest exponents of swing bowling India has ever produced.