(AFP Photo)
On Tuesday, the BCCI officially announced Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, taking over from Rahul Dravid whose tenure concluded last month. Alongside Dravid, the contracts of batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip also ended during the same period.
Gautam Gambhir, aged 42, has been appointed until December 2027 and is anticipated to assemble his own support staff. Reports suggest that the former cricketer, celebrated for his pivotal roles in India’s victories at the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2007 T20 World Cup final, is keen on having Abhishek Nayar, a former Mumbai cricketer, as batting coach, and R Vinay Kumar, a Karnataka pacer, as bowling coach.
However, according to a report from ANI on Wednesday, the BCCI has expressed disinterest in appointing Vinay Kumar and is instead in talks with former India pacers Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipathy Balaji for the position of bowling coach.
“BCCI discussing the names of Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipati Balaji for the position of bowling coach. BCCI is not interested in the name of Vinay Kumar,” a source was quoted as saying by ANI.
Zaheer Khan, celebrated as one of India’s premier fast bowlers, played a crucial role in India’s triumph at the 2011 ODI World Cup, where he emerged as the joint leading wicket-taker. The memorable final at Wankhede Stadium saw India clinch victory over Sri Lanka by six wickets. Meanwhile, Lakshmipathy Balaji represented India in 8 Tests, 30 ODIs, and 5 T20Is. He contributed significantly to teams like CSK and KKR in the IPL and has also served as CSK’s bowling coach in the league.
Gautam Gambhir is scheduled to commence his tenure as India’s head coach on July 27, coinciding with the first T20I against Sri Lanka in a three-match series. The tour will also feature three ODIs against the Islanders.
Indian cricket will see the absence of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the white-ball series as they opted to retire from T20Is after the 2024 T20 World Cup final. Both players are set to return to action during a two-match Test series against Bangladesh in September.
