Former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir has expressed his desire to coach the Indian national team in the future. He has now received strong backing from another World Cup-winning coach to take over the coaching role from Rahul Dravid. Dravid, the current India head coach, has confirmed that he will not reapply for the high-profile job. The ICC T20 World Cup 2024 will mark Dravid’s final assignment as the head coach of Rohit Sharma’s team.
Several former cricketers, including legendary cricketer Sourav Ganguly and ex-India opener WV Raman, have backed Gautam Gambhir to succeed Rahul Dravid as the new head coach of the Indian team after the T20 World Cup. Additionally, former India coach Lalchand Rajput, who guided MS Dhoni’s team to a historic T20 World Cup title in the inaugural edition, also feels Gambhir should be the next head coach.
Rajput spoke to PTI and stated Gambhir is an astute strategist and a no-nonsense individual and would be ideal for the job.
“Gambhir is experienced and has played in the sport the hard way. He reads the game well and is a no-nonsense guy,” said Rajput.
After guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title in 2024, Gautam Gambhir’s case as a potential national team head coach has strengthened. Returning with a trophy to the Eden Gardens, Gambhir spearheaded KKR’s championship-winning campaign.
Although the deadline to apply for the head coach position was May 27, it remains unclear whether Gambhir, the KKR mentor, has submitted his application. For Gambhir, the opportunity to coach the national team would be the ultimate honor.
“KKR were same as last year, yet he made his impact. He is also a shrewd tactician. Given his extensive experience, including two World Cup titles as a player, he would undoubtedly add tremendous value. While he is a strong candidate, the decision ultimately rests with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) and who they choose. Nonetheless, he appears to be the right person to lead Indian cricket forward,” continued Rajput.