With
Rahul Dravid
's tenure as
India coach
ending after the T20 World Cup in June, the hunt for India's new head coach has already gathered pace, with reports suggesting BCCI's interest tilted towards Kolkata Knight Riders' mentor and former India opener
Gautam Gambhir
. However, in a post on X on Thursday, former
BCCI
president and India captain
Sourav Ganguly
seemed to have indirectly advised the BCCI to "choose...wisely".
"The coach's significance in one's life, their guidance, and relentless training shape the future of any person, both on and off the field. So choose the coach and institution wisely..." Ganguly wrote on 'X'.
Ever since Gambhir guided KKR to their third IPL title, he has been tipped to take over from Dravid. It was under Gambhir's captaincy that the Kolkata franchise won its two previous titles in 2012 and 2014. He returned to KKR as mentor ahead of the 2024 edition, after a similar role with Lucknow Super Giants, and the move played a crucial role in KKR's triumphant run this season.
Monday (May 28) was the last date to apply for the job of Team India's chief coach and BCCI secretary Jay Shah meeting Gambhir after KKR's title triumph made the speculations gain strength.
A recent report in Cricbuzz has stated that Gambhir's appointment is almost certain and negotiations are underway on multiple fronts.
"A very high-profile owner of an IPL franchise, who is very close to the BCCI top brass, said that Gambhir's appointment is a done deal and the announcement will come soon. A high profile commentator, who is very clued to the happenings in the BCCI said efforts are being made to rope in Gambhir. The fact that an announcement has not yet come suggests that negotiations are underway on multiple fronts -- between the two parties and, perhaps, with some others too," the report said.
The BCCI secretary also refuted reports saying the board has approached Australian cricketers, namely Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer, for the role.
"Neither I nor the BCCI have approached any former Australian cricketer with a coaching offer. The reports circulating in certain media sections are completely incorrect," Shah said in a statement.
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