Gautam Gambhir approached by BCCI to replace Rahul Dravid as next head coach of Indian cricket team

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Gautam Gambhir, who is currently mentoring Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2024, has reportedly been approached by BCCI for the role of India's head coach position. The board is eager to rope in the former India opener as Rahul Dravid's extended tenure ends with the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in June.

A report by ESPNcricinfo has revealed that Gautam Gambhir is on the top of BCCI's wishlist for the high-profile head coach position of the Indian cricket team. The report added that further discussions are expected after KKR complete their ongoing IPL 2024 campaign.

Under the guidance of Gambhir, KKR became the first team to qualify for the IPL 2024 playoffs, and are poised to finish as the top-ranked team after the end of league stage. They have won nine of their 13 matches.

Gautam Gambhir does not have coaching experience at the international and domestic levels but carries the experience of mentoring two IPL teams. He was the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2022 and 2023. The team qualified for the playoffs in both the seasons.

Also, the 42-year-old was part of the Indian team which won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, and the 50-over World Cup in 2011. Gambhir represented India in 58 Tests, 147 ODIs and 37 T20Is.

The former Delhi batter also captained KKR for seven IPL seasons from 2011 to 2017. They qualified for the playoffs five times and won two titles in 2012 and 2014 under his leadership. KKR also reached the final of the defunct Champions League T20 in 2014.

Earlier on Monday, the BCCI invited applications for the position of men's national team head coach, with the tenure starting from July 1 this year and concluding on December 31, 2027, which will be the year when the next ODI World Cup will take place in South Africa. The deadline for application will be till May 27, 6 PM. The IPL 2024 concluded on Sunday, May 26.