BCCI’s Appointment of Gautam Gambhir as Next Head Coach of India is Confirmed: Report

Team India is all set to undergo a major change after the end of the T20 World Cup 2024 as Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the head coach is set to end. There will be a new head coach in place at the end of the tournament with BCCI’s deadline for applications for the post finished on May 27.

While there have been several names who have been rumoured to replace Rahul Dravid for the position, the name that is rumoured to be at the top of the list is the current mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Gautam Gambhir.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, a high-level IPL franchise owner, who has close contacts with the top brass of the BCCI has confirmed that Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as the India head coach is a ‘done deal’.

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A top commentator who also has sources in the BCCI told the publication that efforts are being made to rope in Gambhir for the role. The report also states that Gautam Gambhir has formally applied for the role, and has also told people close to him that he seriously considering the offer to become the head coach of the national side. Even Shah Rukh Khan, the co-owner of the KKRs knows of this.

The Cricbuzz report also states that there have been several discussions between Gambhir and BCCI secretary Jay Shah regarding the role. The main buzzword among these discussions is “desh ke liye karna hai”, a sentiment that both Shah and Gambhir share. This also goes in line with Gautam Gambhir’s heart-on-his-sleeves approach.

Gautam Gambhir has had tremendous success in his coaching career. He first became the mentor of the LSG in 2022, as he guided the franchise to two successive playoff franchises in 2022 and 2023.

Ahead of the IPL 2024 auction, he was named as the new KKR mentor, as he made his return to the franchise seven years after leaving. He made an instant impact, as KKR went on to win their third title after defeating SRH in the IPL 2024 final. Gambhir became just the second person to win the IPL both as the captain and part of the coaching staff of the same IPL team.

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The report also states that there has been no announcement regarding the appointment of a new head coach as the negotiations are still underway between both parties and also a few others.