As Rahul Dravid concluded his tenure as India's head coach with a T20 World Cup victory, Gautam Gambhir will soon take over the mantle. But when? The former opener has been the top candidate since Dravid confirmed he wouldn't continue after the T20 World Cup.
Gambhir, along with WV Raman, was one of only two applicants to undergo the interview process by the Cricket Advisory Committee. The former left-hander shot a farewell video for the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens, marking the end of his second stint with the franchise after helping them become IPL champions.
So, why is the BCCI delaying the inevitable announcement? The delay is due to salary negotiations. The Indian Express reported that Gambhir and the BCCI are in the “final stages of salary negotiations”. Once his remuneration is settled, the BCCI will make the announcement.
The BCCI remains flexible about the head coach's salary, stating in the job advertisement that it is "negotiable and will be commensurate with experience." The report said that Gambhir is anticipated to earn more than his predecessor, Rahul Dravid, who received around Rs12 crore annually.
This will be Gambhir's first national-level assignment, as he has never served as head coach for any team. His coaching experience is limited to the IPL, where he mentored the Lucknow Super Giants for a few seasons before joining KKR last year and leading them to an IPL victory.
Currently, the Indian team in Zimbabwe is being guided by NCA head VVS Laxman. BCCI secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that India will tour Sri Lanka for a white-ball series under a new head coach.
The BCCI will soon invite applications for the team’s support staff, as the tenures of batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip ended after the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.
When selecting the support staff, the BCCI tradition involves giving the head coach the authority to make the final decision. Gambhir is expected to have autonomy in selecting his support staff once the application process concludes.
