Gautam Gambhir has served as a mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL.
With Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India’s head coach concluding after the T20 World Cup, speculation about his replacement has been rampant. Among the various names suggested, Gautam Gambhir, Dravid’s former teammate and Kolkata Knight Riders mentor, emerged as a leading candidate. Despite numerous reports indicating that Gambhir’s appointment was imminent, the BCCI had not officially confirmed the news.
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In a recent interview with ANI, BCCI president Roger Binny effectively confirmed that Gambhir has been offered the position.
Binny praised Gambhir’s extensive experience as an all-rounder, stating, “Gautam Gambhir has got a lot of experience and if he takes the job, it’s definitely going to be a good thing for Indian cricket. He is experienced, and that’s what India needs. India needs a coach who played the game, and he has played in all three formats.”
Gambhir had previously expressed his desire to coach the Indian cricket team, calling it the highest honor. In an interaction with PTI, he said, “I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honor than coaching your national team. You are representing 140 crore Indians and those across the globe as well.”
Reports indicated that Gambhir had set forth five conditions for accepting the head coach role, including complete autonomy over team selection and support staff, a separate team for Test cricket, and the authority to drop senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja if they underperform in the Champions Trophy 2025.
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Despite lacking formal coaching experience, Gambhir has served as a mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). During his two-year tenure with LSG, the team reached the playoff stage both years. This year, under his mentorship, KKR won the IPL 2024 trophy after a decade-long wait.