After months of speculation over India's next coach, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir emerged as the frontrunner to replace Rahul Dravid. Reports arrived that Gambhir is all set to appear for an interview in Mumbai on 18 June to meet BCCI secretary Jay Shah and other officials.
According to news agency IANS, Gambhir will meet Jay Shah and others on Tuesday between 2–4 PM. He is mostly confirmed to become the next head coach of the Indian cricket team.
"Gauti (Gautam Gambhir) will be travelling today to Mumbai around 12 pm for the interview at BCCI Headquarters. It is almost confirmed that he is going to be the next head coach as the BCCI has agreed to the terms he presented for the head coach. The new head coach of the men's cricket team will soon be revealed. The meeting is scheduled between 2-4 pm,” IANS quoted a source privy to BCCI as saying.
The report further says that Gambhir has put forward a few demands to the BCCI for the head coach position, including full command of the team and separate teams for white-ball and red-ball. It added that the apex cricket board has agreed to all those demands.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India had earlier invited, and the deadline was 27 May. The new coach's contract would be valid for all three formats—Tests, ODIs, and T20Is—from July 2024 to December 2027.
India's current head coach, Rahul Dravid, was extended until this year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup. He took over the charge after the 2021 T20 World Cup in November.
In June, Gambhir had said that he would love to coach the Indian cricket team if given a chance.
"I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour than coaching your national team. You are representing 140 crore Indians and those across the globe as well," Gambhir had said at an event in Abu Dhabi in June's first week. .
Currently, Gambhir mentors the Kolkata Knight Riders team and was part of India's T20 World Cup winning team in 2007 and the 2011 ODI World Cup side.