Jay Shah said new head coach of the Indian cricket team will join from the Sri Lanka series.

(Source X)

Jay Shah, the Secretary of BCCI, has disclosed that the Indian cricket team will welcome a new head coach by the end of July, with two candidates being considered for the position. Last month, the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) conducted interviews for the role, with prominent figures like Gautam Gambhir and WV Raman among those under consideration.

Rahul Dravid concluded his tenure following India’s victorious campaign at the recent 2024 T20 World Cup. However, the new coach will assume responsibilities only when India embarks on their limited-overs series in Sri Lanka later this month.

In the interim, Shubman Gill will lead an Indian squad against Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series, commencing later this week. For the Zimbabwe tour, VVS Laxman, the current Director of the National Cricket Academy, will oversee the team.

“Both coach and selector appointment will be made shortly,” Shah was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. “CAC has interviewed and shortlisted two names and after reaching Mumbai whatever they have decided we will go by that. VVS Laxman is going to Zimbabwe but new coach will join from Sri Lanka series.”

Dravid concluded his tenure on a triumphant note, guiding the Indian team under Rohit Sharma to victory in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados. This marked not only the end of Dravid’s coaching stint but also the T20I careers of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja, who announced their retirements from the format.

Numerous prominent names were rumored to be contenders to succeed Dravid, such as Justin Langer, Stephen Fleming, and Ricky Ponting. However, it appears highly probable that the new head coach will be Gautam Gambhir, a two-time World Cup winner.

Gambhir’s credentials received a significant boost following his successful tenure as a mentor with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) during IPL 2024, where the franchise clinched the title convincingly. Previously, he also served as mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants, guiding them to the playoffs in consecutive seasons.