Gautam Gambhir 'likely' to be India's new head coach: report

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir is likely to become the Indian cricket team's new head coach in light of the discussions held with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), reported Cricbuzz.

Prospects of Gambhir's expected role come as the tenure of the Indian team's current head coach, Rahul Dravid, is set to expire with the T20 World Cup 2024 and the former right-handed batter is unlikely to reapply for the said post.

Although there is no official confirmation yet, Gambhir is likely to have applied for the role of head coach — for which the deadline of application submission was May 27.

The Cricbuzz report indicates that the BCCI and Gautam Gambhir are in discussions, with negotiations on various aspects.

"Both the BCCI and Gambhir share the belief that 'we must do it for the country.' And the conversation between [BCCI Secretary] Jay Shah and Gambhir is understood to be centred around this idea," the report said.

It has come to light that a prominent Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise owner, who maintains close ties with the BCCI high-ups, has already confirmed Gambhir’s appointment as the head coach of India, declaring it a done deal with an official announcement coming soon.

On the other hand, a well-known commentator, who is also closely connected to the BCCI's activities, stated that efforts are underway to bring Gambhir on board as the head coach of the team. The former India cricketer was also observed conversing with Shah following the IPL final.

Gambhir has informed his close associates that he is contemplating accepting the position of the Indian head coach.

Even Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) co-owner Shah Rukh Khan is aware of this development, although there has not been any official confirmation so far.

It is to be noted that Gambhir served as a mentor for KKR in the 2024 IPL edition and saw the side winning the coveted trophy. He had previously led the franchise to two IPL titles as captain in 2012 and 2014.