Gautam Gambhir tops BCCI’s wish list for India men’s head coach
MUMBAI: Former India batter Gautam Gambhir is at the top of the BCCI's list to succeed Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the India men's cricket team, following the conclusion of Dravid's tenure after the 2024 T20 World Cup in June.
According to ESPNcricinfo, BCCI has reached out to Gambhir, currently serving as the mentor for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL, to discuss his interest in the role.
Further talks are anticipated once KKR's IPL 2024 campaign concludes.
However, the deadline for applications for the head coach position is May 27, a day after the IPL final.
Rahul Dravid has reportedly informed the BCCI that he will not seek another term.
Initially, VVS Laxman was expected to succeed Dravid but made himself unavailable last year due to personal reasons.
Although Gambhir (42) lacks coaching experience at the international or domestic levels, he has led the coaching staff of two IPL franchises.
He mentored the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022 and 2023, guiding them to the playoffs in both seasons.
He then joined KKR for the 2024 season, where the team topped the points table at the league stage.
Gambhir's unexpected move to KKR was influenced by the franchise's principal owner, Shah Rukh Khan.
Gambhir was a key player in India’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2007 and the ODI World Cup victory in 2011.
As captain of KKR from 2011 to 2017, he led the team to five playoff appearances and two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.
KKR also reached the final of the now-defunct Champions League T20 in 2014 under his leadership.
Last week, the BCCI issued an advertisement for the India men's head coach position, stipulating that the role would cover all three formats for a term of three and a half years, from July 2024 until December 2027.
Dravid began his two-year tenure as India's head coach after the 2021 T20 World Cup.
His contract was originally set to expire after the 2023 ODI World Cup in November, but he agreed to an extension until the end of the 2024 T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in the West Indies and the USA in June.