Gautam Gambhir is poised to become the next head coach of the Indian cricket team, following reports that he is the only applicant for the position. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had invited applications for the role as Rahul Dravid’s tenure is set to end after the ICC T20 World Cup in June 2024.
Gambhir, who recently mentored the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title, has reportedly had informal discussions with BCCI Secretary Jay Shah about the position
While the official announcement is pending, sources close to the BCCI and IPL franchise owners suggest that Gambhir’s appointment is almost finalized, with an announcement expected soon
Gautam Gambhir, a celebrated former Indian cricketer, is reportedly the only candidate to have applied for the position of head coach of the Indian national cricket team. Gambhir, 42, is known for his flamboyant left-handed batting and has amassed over 10,000 international runs across Test, ODI, and T20 formats. He recently led the Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL championship as their coach.
Applications for the head coach role closed on May 27. Indian media outlets, including the Indian Express and the Times of India, have reported that Gambhir is the sole applicant and the presumed front-runner for the position. His interview was scheduled for Tuesday. The BCCI has yet to release an official statement regarding the selection process.
The position of India’s head coach, currently held by Rahul Dravid, will become vacant after the T20 World Cup as he has decided not to continue. India is searching for Dravid’s replacement to lead the team until the next ODI World Cup in 2027.
Interestingly, India hasn’t won a global title since the 2013 Champions Trophy under their last foreign coach, Duncan Fletcher of Zimbabwe.
Initially, there were reports suggesting interest from former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming and Australians Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer for the coaching role, alongside Gautam Gambhir. However, BCCI secretary Jay Shah dismissed these reports, stating that no Australian had been approached with a coaching offer.
