Gautam Gambhir's appointment as India head coach a 'done deal'?

NEW DELHI: With Kolkata Knight Riders clinching their third IPL title under the mentorship of

Gautam Gambhir

, the appointment of the former India skipper as the next India head coach has gained momentum.
The deadline for applying for the post of Indian men's cricket team chief coach ended on Monday and Gambhir's name for the top job is floating in the cricketing circles, especially after his incredible success in the recently concluded IPL.
BCCI

secretary

Jay Shah

meeting Gambhir after KKR's title triumph on Sunday also gave more air to the murmurs of Gambhir's appointment.
A recent report in Cricbuzz has now 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.

Jay Shah also recently rejected claims that the BCCI has approached any former Australian cricketer to be India's next head coach and hinted that Rahul Dravid's successor could be an Indian by saying that he should have a 'deep understanding' of the game's structure in the country.
While Dravid has reportedly told the board that he is not interested in a third stint, former Australian players like Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer claimed that they have turned down approaches for the high-profile position.
"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," Jay Shah said in a statement.
"The buzzword inside the coach selection circle is 'desh ke liye karna hai'. Both the BCCI and Gambhir share the belief that 'we must do it for the country.' And the conversation between Jay Shah and Gambhir is understood to be centred around this idea," the Cricbuzz report stated.