The Board of Control for Cricket in India has sounded out Sachin Tendulkar to take over the captaincy of the Indian team from Rahul Dravid who resigned from the post to concentrate on his batting.
Feelers have already been sent out to Tendulkar who has sought some time to make up his mind on whether to accept the job for a third stint, a top BCCI source said.
The national selectors will meet in Mumbai on Tuesday to appoint a new captain and choose the team for the home one-day series against Australia.
"Tendulkar has been sounded for the job by the Board. It is now upto him to make up his mind," the source said.
The source said that the selectors would think of an alternative only if Tendulkar refuses to accept the captaincy.
"We should get his response in the next two days and the question of approaching somebody else will only arise if he declines the job. We can say that he is the front-runner for the post," the source said.
While the Mumbai batsman is the favourite for the hot seat, regarded as the toughest job in world cricket, Mahendra Singh Dhoni is tipped to be the vice-captain.
"The idea is to groom Dhoni for captaincy. Tendulkar is the senior most in the team at the moment and he is the right person to groom him," the source said.
The source also made it clear that former captain Sourav Ganguly is not in the picture at the moment.
Tendulkar's decision to pull out from a promotional event in connection with the Sunfeast Open in Kolkata on Tuesday, the day the selection committee meets, has triggered off speculation that he may accept the job.
Captains and coaches are generally invited to be present at selection committee meetings.
Tendulkar has led the Indian team twice in the past and had enjoyed modest success.
He was made the skipper of the side first in 1996 but he resigned in 1998 only to be appointed again in 1999-2000 and this time also he quit, paving way for Ganguly.
Tendulkar captained India in 25 Tests, winning four, losing 12 and drawing nine.
He led in 73 ODIs of which India won 23, lost 43 while six matches ended without any result, besides a tied match.
If Tendulkar accepts the captaincy, the seven-match one day series against Australia beginning from September 29 will be his first assignment, followed by Pakistan's tour of India in November-December.
