Gautam Gambhir is the only person who applied to become India’s head coach. He is scheduled to be interviewed by the Cricket Advisory Committee on Tuesday, June 18. According to a report in The Indian Express, Gambhir is likely to be selected as India’s next head coach without any competition. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) invited applications in early May 2024 after the current head coach Rahul Dravid said he would not continue after the ongoing T20 World Cup. The deadline to apply for the head coach position was May 27. Few well-known candidates showed interest, mostly because of the extensive travel required for 10 months each year.
Now it’s clear that Gambhir is the only applicant. The report mentioned that the former India opener will be interviewed by the Cricket Advisory Committee members Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape, and Sulakshana Naik via a Zoom call.
Despite being the preferred choice for the BCCI, the lack of other applicants shows that interest in this once-prestigious role in international cricket is declining. Many big names now prefer short contracts in lucrative franchise leagues, which offer good pay and more time with family.
Gambhir’s chances are boosted by his successful time with the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024. He returned to lead the team he captained for seven years and played a big role in creating a positive team environment. Under his leadership, KKR improved a lot, winning the IPL trophy after 10 years and finishing at the top of the group stage.
After the interview, the Cricket Advisory Committee will give its suggestions to the BCCI, which is expected to make an official announcement later. If Gambhir is chosen as the new head coach, he will have the chance to pick his support staff. It’s expected that Team India will see a complete change in its coaching staff because Gambhir is unlikely to keep the current batting, bowling, and fielding coaches whose contracts end after the T20 World Cup.
In addition to the head coach role, the CAC will also interview candidates for the vacant selector’s position to replace former India pacer Salil Ankola. The new selector is expected to be from the North Zone, which follows a long tradition of having regional representation in the selection panel.
There’s no written rule about regional appointments, but the BCCI has followed this practice for over 20 years. Ajit Agarkar, from the West Zone, became chief selector last year, replacing Chetan Sharma who stepped down amid controversy.
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