Gautam Gambhir, the former World Cup winner and three-time IPL champion (2 times as a player, one time as mentor), has been the subject of intense speculation in recent weeks. After leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title last week, Gambhir’s name has been widely touted as a potential successor to the current India head coach, Rahul Dravid.
According to a report by Cricbuzz, a high-level IPL franchise owner, who has close contacts with the top brass of the BCCI has confirmed that Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as the India head coach is a ‘done deal’. A top commentator who also has sources in the BCCI told the publication that efforts are being made to rope in Gambhir for the role.
The report also states that Gautam Gambhir has formally applied for the role, and has also told people close to him that he seriously considering the offer to become the head coach of the national side. Even Shah Rukh Khan, the co-owner Of the Kolkata Knight Riders knows of this.
The Cricbuzz report also states that there have been several discussions between Gambhir and BCCI secretary Jay Shah regarding the role. The main buzzword among these discussions is “desh ke liye karna hai” (do it for the country), a sentiment which both Shah and Gambhir share. This also goes in line with Gambhir’s heart-on-his- sleeves approach