Gautam Gambhir will succeed Rahul Dravid as head coach of the senior national men’s team. Gambhir achieved success with the Knight Riders after returning to the IPL as their mentor in 2024.
Gautam Gambhir, the Indian Premier League-winning coach, is expected to succeed Rahul Dravid as the new head coach of the Indian senior men’s national team, IndiaToday.in has learned. Despite his new commitment to the IPL franchise Knight Riders, the World Cup-winning former opener is eager to take on the challenge. Even though Dravid’s term is slated to expire in June, the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has invited applications for the top job. The application date for the head coach position was May 27.
During the second half of the IPL 2024 season, the speculation that Gautam Gambhir would take over as head coach increased. However, given his newfound relationship with the Knight Riders, it remained to be seen whether the former opener would be interested in the challenging position.
Gambhir returned to KKR for the first time since leaving the team as a player in 2017. The two-time title-winning captain was named the franchise’s mentor, and he had an immediate influence, leading a great campaign that saw KKR win their third IPL title on May 26.
Gambhir, who is trusted and respected by the KKR ownership group, can extend his time with the Knight Riders. However, a source with knowledge of the situation stated that Gambhir is willing to take on the responsibility of coaching the senior national team.
The insider claimed that although there was no official approach made, the board and Gambhir advanced their conversation through casual conversations. Although Gambhir hasn’t held a high-level coaching position before, his time spent mentoring IPL players appears to have persuaded BCCI executives that the former opener is the best choice to replace Rahul Dravid as the team’s captain.
Notably, after KKR defeated the SunRisers in the IPL 2024 final on Sunday, May 26, BCCI secretary Jay Shah was seen chatting with Gautam Gambhir at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. TV cameras caught the casual conversation, which fueled rumors concerning the head coach position.
It remains to be seen whether the BCCI will conduct head coach interviews through the Cricket Advisory Committee, given Gambhir’s chances of accepting the position. Jay Shah, BCCI secretary, announced earlier this month that a CAC will be constituted to interview the shortlisted individuals.
Gambhir’s first high-level mentoring position came in 2022, when he joined the Lucknow IPL franchise. LSG, coached by Andy Flower, advanced to the playoffs during his two-year tenure. The former opener then returned to KKR and led a highly talented group to their third IPL title.
The players, other members of the support staff, and its co-owner Shah Rukh Khan emphasized Gambhir’s involvement in providing role clarity and guiding the Knight Riders toward a shared objective.Given that the senior national team is about to go through a period of transition and part ways with some of its biggest players, Gambhir’s shown man-management abilities from the IPL will come in handy. The former captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders is renowned for supporting gifted individuals and enabling them to reach their full potential. This quality will be essential while managing young players in the senior national team.
Once Jay Shah verified that the board was not opposed to appointing foreign coaches, the BCCI has reached out to former SunRisers head coach Tom Moody and Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming, who had been the opener for New Zealand.
In a statement, Jay Shah further stated that the board did not contact any Australian cricket players about the position, even though Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer had declared their indifference to teaching at this point in their careers.
