After not reacting for over two weeks, Gautam Gambhir has finally broken his silence on coaching the Indian cricket team. At an event in Abu Dhabi, the former India cricketer answered a student’s specific question on coaching the Indian cricket team and said he would be honoured to do the job.
“I have not answered this question, although a lot of people have asked me. But I have to answer you now. I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour than coaching your national team. You are representing 140 crore Indians and those across the globe as well,” says the 42-year-old.
With Gambhir now expressing his desire to coach the national side, there is a bright possibility of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) making a direct announcement and not following the usual drill of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) interviewing potential candidates.
CricketNext reached out to the BCCI with multiple queries on the interview schedule, if any, for the coaching job but there was no response. It is understood that there aren’t many quality candidates to choose from and the usual drill could be avoided this time.
“We might have a situation where there are no interviews and presentations. There just aren’t many quality candidates to choose from. Most potential overseas candidates have already ruled themselves out and many more are happy to be in control of their year. The job of coaching Team India would need at least 9 months on the road,” says a source close to developments.
Gambhir is currently the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), his former IPL team he joined before the 2024 edition, and played a crucial role in their title win this season. Is KKR ready for life without Gambhir, again? CricketNext asked CEO Venky Mysore whether Gambhir has had any discussions with the KKR management, and the story will be updated when he responds.
After tasting success with KKR, this time as a mentor, Gambhir has been vacationing with his family – his wife and two daughters. The former India cricketer met BCCI secretary Jay Shah after the IPL final in Chennai last week but the two didn’t chat for a long time.
While Shah left the venue the moment the presentation ceremony was completed, Gambhir stayed back with the team and owners and left in the team bus around 2 am. The celebrations continued in the team hotel and it surely was a long night for the Knights.
India’s new head coach will be appointed for a period of 3.5 years and the tenure will begin from July 1 and culminate on December 31, 2027. Rahul Dravid is currently with the Indian team for the 2024 T20 World Cup. His contract had ended after the 2023 World Cup but the Indian cricket board convinced him to stay back till the end of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
The first assignment for India’s new head coach would be the tour of Zimbabwe which starts on the first week of July.
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