The position of India’s head coach is set to become vacant. Rahul Dravid, known as “The Wall,” does not want to extend his tenure and will step down right after the World Cup.
However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not sitting idle; they have begun extensive efforts to find a new coach, and their top choice is Gautam Gambhir.
Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India’s head coach will end after the T20 World Cup. Consequently, the BCCI issued a notification on Monday seeking applications for the head coach position.
Meanwhile, a surprising news report has been published by Cricinfo. The renowned cricket media outlet claimed in a report on Friday that the BCCI has offered the position of Dravid’s successor to Gautam Gambhir. However, Gambhir has not commented on this matter yet.
The report stated that the BCCI has contacted Gambhir and offered him the role of India’s head coach. Currently serving as the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing IPL, Gambhir has taken some time to consider the offer. He is expected to discuss the matter with BCCI officials after the IPL journey concludes.
The last day to apply for the position of India’s head coach is May 27. The IPL final is on May 26. If Gambhir’s team Kolkata reaches the final, he will still have one day to make a decision. A final decision regarding Gambhir becoming the coach could come on that day.
However, Gambhir lacks coaching experience, both internationally and domestically. In the IPL, he has only been part of the coaching staff of two franchise teams.
In the 2022 and 2023 IPL seasons, he was the mentor for Lucknow Super Giants, leading the team to the playoffs in both seasons. This season, he is serving as an advisor for Kolkata, who have also secured a playoff spot.
Moreover, Gambhir has a rich cricketing career, having played 58 Tests, 147 ODIs, and 37 T20Is for India, and won the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup.
