Former Indian player and team director Ravi Shastri has been appointed the new coach of the Indian cricket team. The announcement was made on Tuesday evening after the Committee of Administrators (CoA) gave the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) a deadline to announce the name of the Indian coach.

Shastri’s name was chosen over Virendra Sehwag, who was being touted as a front-runner, according to media reports. Shastri will assume the head coach’s role in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, starting July 26, Hindustan Times reported. Shastri had not applied for the position initially but had sent in his application when the BCCI extended the deadline till July 9.

The CoA had asked the BCCI to name the new coach on June 11 avoid further delay after the completion of all interviews. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising former cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly had put the appointment on hold.

Ganguly on Monday had stated that the CAC will have a detailed conversation with skipper Virat Kohli once he returns from West Indies. The announcement that Shastri will be the next coach was made even as Kohli and team are not back yet.

Shastri was among the five candidates interviewed. Former coach Anil Kumble had resigned after an alleged rift with Kohli. He quit just after India lost the Champions’ League finals to Pakistan on June 18.