Gautam Gambhir, former India cricketer, emerges as the top candidate to succeed Rahul Dravid as head coach of the men’s cricket team once Dravid’s current contract concludes at the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup. Despite strong competition from veteran cricketer WV Raman, who reportedly made a more significant impression during a recent virtual interview with the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee, Gambhir has refrained from commenting on the India head coach position.

Earlier on Tuesday, Gambhir, who played a pivotal role in guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title as a mentor, underwent an interview with CAC members Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape, and Sulakshana Naik.

During a recent Indian Chamber of Commerce event in Kolkata, Gambhir responded ambiguously to inquiries about potentially succeeding Dravid as India’s head coach. ‘I prefer not to speculate on the future,’ he remarked, evoking curiosity about the coaching transition.

‘I don’t foresee that far ahead. You’re really grilling me with tough questions. It’s not easy to respond at this moment. All I can say is I’m content being here. I’ve just completed a remarkable journey, and let’s savor that. I’m in a very positive place right now,’ Gambhir shared during the ‘Rise To Leadership’ seminar.

The former World Cup winner shared his coaching philosophy, emphasizing a ‘team-first ideology’ as paramount.

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He stressed the importance of prioritizing the team over individual players, believing that success follows when collective goals are upheld. He expressed confidence that this approach, if consistently applied, leads to eventual success.

Highlighting his belief in the mantra of ‘team-first philosophy,’ he underscored its significance in any team sport.

While the BCCI is expected to announce the head coach by the end of June, depending largely on India’s T20 World Cup performance, Gambhir, if selected, is unlikely to join the squad for the Zimbabwe T20I series starting on July 5.

According to a PTI report, VVS Laxman, the chief of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), will accompany the Indian team for the upcoming three-match series. Following this, Gautam Gambhir will assume the role starting from the Sri Lanka tour. India is scheduled to play three T20Is and three ODIs against Sri Lanka next month.

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‘There’s a possibility that Laxman and several NCA coaches will join the revamped squad on their tour to Zimbabwe. Laxman and the NCA team have consistently stepped in whenever Rahul Dravid and the primary coaching staff have taken periodic breaks,’ disclosed a source from the BCCI to the news agency.