The Cricket Advisory Committee on Monday postponed the announcement of the next Team India coach, CAC member Sourav Ganguly said at a press conference. The former India captain said the CAC, which also comprises Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman, needed more time to select the next Indian coach. He did not specify when the decision will be made.

Ganguly said the CAC could only interview five of the six candidates on Monday. Former West Indies player Phil Simmons, who is the sixth candidate, was unavailable for an interview.

He further said that the committee wanted to have a word with Team India captain Virat Kohli before coming to a decision. “We want to have a word with Virat before finalising [on a name] so that everybody is on the same page,” Ganguly said, adding that Kohli had not suggested any names.

The next Indian coach will be given a two-year contract.

The committee, constituted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, had received 10 applications for the post. Former cricketer Ravi Shastri is believed to be the favourite for the job.

Besides Shastri, Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, Dodda Ganesh, Lance Klusner, Rakesh Sharma, Lalchand Rajput, Richard Pybus, and an engineer with no cricket background, Upendranath Brahmachari, had sent in their applications.

Shastri had served as the Indian team director between August 2014 and June 2016 and apparently also has a good rapport with Kohli.

The post fell vacant after Anil Kumble’s unceremonious exit last month. It was rumoured that Kumble had quit because of a massive rift with Kohli. Kolhi refused to comment on the speculation during a press conference on June 22.