Gautam Gambhir is poised to be appointed as India’s next head coach unopposed, as he is reportedly the sole applicant for the role, as per a report in The Indian Express. The BCCI had invited applications in early May 2024, following current head coach Rahul Dravid’s decision not to continue after the ongoing T20 World Cup. The deadline for applications was May 27. Earlier reports indicated that few high-profile names were interested in the position, largely due to the extensive travel requirements for 10 months of the year.
It has now been confirmed that Gambhir is the sole applicant for the head coach position. According to the report, the former India opener is scheduled to be interviewed by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) on Tuesday. Gambhir will participate in the interview via Zoom call, facing the CAC members Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape, and Sulakshana Naik.
Dravid’s tenure with the Indian team will conclude after the ongoing T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA). Earlier, Dravid confirmed that he would not continue as head coach after taking over from Ravi Shastri in November 2021.
Gautam Gambhir gained prominence in the administrative realm after guiding KKR to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title in April. Following this achievement, reports surfaced regarding the BCCI entering discussions with the 2011 World Cup winner. Previously, the BCCI had invited applications for the role, with the deadline set for May 27, 2024.
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As for Dravid, he will be aiming to finish on a high note, as India are seeking their first ICC title in 11 years since winning the 2013 Champions Trophy. The Men in Blue have already advanced to the Super 8 after finishing at the top of the points table in Group A.
In addition to interviewing the sole candidate for the head coach role, the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) will also conduct interviews for the vacant selector’s position, which is to replace former India pacer Salil Ankola. The new selector is expected to be from the North Zone, as both Ankola and the chief selector Ajit Agarkar hail from the West Zone.
There is no written constitution regarding the zonal-wise appointment of selectors, but this has been a practice followed by the board for the last two decades. Ajit Agarkar was appointed in July last year, replacing Chetan Sharma who had stepped down after being involved in a sting operation. Salil Ankola was already serving as a selector when Agarkar took over.
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