NEW DELHI: The quest to find the new head coach for the senior men’s cricket team has proven more challenging than anticipated for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). With the application deadline less than a week away, the BCCI is keeping its options open.
Sources indicate that the BCCI has shown interest in Gautam Gambhir (coach of Kolkata Knight Riders), Stephen Fleming (coach of Chennai Super Kings), Justin Langer (coach of Lucknow Super Giants), and Mahela Jayawardene (global performance head of Mumbai Indians). The board’s operations team has been reaching out to potential candidates to gauge their interest in the position.
It is understood that Ashish Nehra, coach of Gujarat Titans, who was previously considered, is hesitant to commit to a full-time role across all formats. The challenge of securing top candidates is intensified by the lucrative and less demanding roles offered by the IPL franchises.
The commitment to travel with the team for 10 months a year until the next ODI World Cup in 2027 is a significant deterrent. Among the potential candidates, only VVS Laxman, the current head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), is not tied to an IPL franchise. Although Laxman has expressed reluctance to take up the role, the BCCI has not ruled him out entirely.
Sources reveal that Gautam Gambhir is currently at the top of the BCCI’s wish list. “There has been no formal communication with the potential candidates yet. All these coaches are weighing their options, but Gambhir’s stock has risen. The board officials are likely to speak with Gambhir in Ahmedabad, where he is with KKR for the IPL playoffs,” a BCCI source said on Tuesday.
It is reported that Gambhir and senior players in the Indian team have been on good terms recently. “Any talk of friction between Gambhir and Virat Kohli is overstated. They have always got along well off the field, and any issues were resolved after their IPL altercation last year,” the source added.
Since 2016, the BCCI has not faced a significant dilemma in choosing a head coach. Anil Kumble’s appointment over Ravi Shastri was followed by Shastri’s unanimous selection from 2017-2021, with skipper Kohli’s backing. Rahul Dravid was then promoted from NCA head in 2021 after extensive discussions during the T20 World Cup in Dubai.
In the current scenario, the BCCI appears uncertain about its choices. However, concrete discussions and developments are expected by the end of this week.
