Australian cricketing legend Ricky Ponting has turned down an ambitious inquiry from the BCCI to become the next coach of the Indian men’s cricket team.

Despite significant interest from the cricketing powerhouse, Ponting stated it was an “unlikely” option for him, citing the relentless commitment to the role and “timing” as part of his reasoning.

The BCCI’s search for a new heir comes with the news that current coach and Indian cricket great Rahul Dravid will not be renewing his contract in the role.

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Speaking to the ICC Review, Ponting was transparent in his reasoning to turn down the offer to coach the likes of Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah.

“I’ve seen a lot of reports about it… normally these things pop up on social media before you even know about them, but there were a few little one-on-one conversations during the IPL – just to get a level of interest from me as to whether I would do it,” Ponting told the ICC.

“I’d love to be a senior coach of a national team, but with the other things that I have in my life and wanting to have a bit of time at home … everyone knows if you take a job working with the Indian team, you can’t be involved in an IPL team; so, it would take that out of it as well.

“Also, a national head coach is a 10 or 11-month of the year job – and as much as I’d like to do it – it just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle right now and the things that I really enjoy doing.”

Ponting, who captained Australia between 2004 and 2011, is arguably the country’s most accomplished cricketer alive, and has regularly been touted as a future Australian head coach.

The 49-year-old has coached IPL franchise the Delhi Capitals for seven seasons, and taken his side to the playoffs twice – as well as a grand final appearance in 2020, where they eventually lost to the Mumbai Indians by five wickets.

Notable members within Ponting’s current coaching set at Delhi include director of cricket Sourav Ganguly, and bowling coach James Hopes – who played 84 ODI’s and 12 T20I’s for Australia between 2005 and 2010.

In addition to his role at the Capitals, he is also the current head of strategy at Big Bash League club the Hobart Hurricanes and the new coach of Major League Cricket side the Washington Freedom in America.

Included in the list of other potential candidates to replace Dravid is former teammate and Australian coach Justin Langer, who coached his home country’s side between 2018 and 2022.

“I’ve seen a few other names thrown about as well. Justin Langer’s name got thrown in yesterday, Stephen Fleming’s name has been thrown about a little bit,” Ponting added.

“Gautam Gambhir’s name has been thrown around a little bit the last couple of days as well. But I think it’d be unlikely for me just on the reasons that I’ve given there.”

Ponting added that his family, who has recently travelled with him for parts of the recent IPL tournament, would be supportive of him if he was to ever undertake the role, but that “it probably doesn’t exactly fit into my lifestyle.“

The BCCI have stated that the position of which Ponting was approached for will be a three-and-a-half-year contract for all formats of the game, starting in July this year until the end of 2027.

Ponting is widely regarded as Australia’s greatest ever batter in the modern era, having scored an astronomical 13,378 test runs at an average of 51.85, making 41 hundreds at the level – the most of any Australian player in history.

Similarly, his 13,589 runs at ODI level is a tick under 4,000 more than any other Australian, with former teammate Adam Gilchrist the next best with 9,595 runs.

Australia play their first warm-up match for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup on May 29, while India play their first on June 2 – strangely the same day the tournament officially starts.