Picture Credit: X/IPL
Gautam Gambhir, who mentored Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title in Chennai, met with the BCCI Secretary, Jay Shah, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium amidst the trophy celebrations on Sunday, May 26. Both the esteemed gentlemen had a lengthy conversation, which fueled speculations of Gautam Gambhir taking up the role of India’s head coach.
Notably, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had invited applications from potential candidates for the head coach role of the Indian men’s cricket team earlier this month. The last date of applying for the Indian head coach role is May 27, and according to a report in the Dainik Jagran, Gautam Gambhir wanted to apply for the role only if his selection is guaranteed.
Rahul Dravid, who is the current head coach of the Indian cricket team, is going to end his tenure in the role after the T20 World Cup 2024 next month. It is expected that he is not going to reapply for the role, following which Gautam Gambhir has emerged as the frontrunner to replace him.
In the last couple of weeks, Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer were linked with the Indian head coach role, but the former Australian cricketers denied that they applied for it. Following this, Jay Shah made a clarification that the BCCI will prefer an Indian to become the next head coach of the men’s cricket team since they are more familiar with domestic cricket.
With that, Gautam Gambhir looks like a certainty to become the next head coach of India. The 42-year-old, who is a multi-time World Cup winner, has a proven track record as a mentor in the IPL with LSG and KKR in the last three years, which could make him an ideal fit to take the Indian cricket team forward.
