Gautam Gambhir says he would love to coach the Indian cricket team

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir said he would love to coach the Indian cricket team and added that there was no bigger honour than coaching the national side.

Gambhir’s name for the coveted role of the head coach of the Indian cricket team has been doing the rounds for days now.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) invited applications for the post of India’s head coach in the month of May, with the deadline being May 27. The Indian team’s current coach Rahul Dravid’s tenure ends after the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the West Indies.

Rahul Dravid was appointed the coach in November 2021 on a two-year stint that ended with the ICC Men’s World Cup (50 overs World Cup) in 2023. However, with the BCCI delaying in finding an able replacement, Dravid was requested by the board to continue with the team till the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Dravid, this time, had informed the board of his decision to spend time with his family and was keen on not taking another extension of his coaching role.

After the deadline for applying for the Indian team’s head coach ended on May 27, there have been several reports of former players, including Australians, New Zealand cricketers and Gambir, being interviewed, however, none of the reports have been verified by neither the board nor the individuals in question.

Speaking at a private event in Abu Dhabi, Gambhir, who has had successful stints with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, said representing 140 crore Indians is very big. “I would love to coach the Indian team. There’s no bigger honour than coaching your national team. You are representing 140 crore Indians and more across the globe as well and when you represent India, how can it get bigger than that?” he said.

Speaking about the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, Gambhir added that if every cricket has a prayer on their lips, India will win the World Cup. The Indian cricket team, under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007 and has since drawn a blank. “It is not me that will help India win the World Cup, it is 140 crore Indians who will help India win the World Cup. If everyone starts praying for us and we start playing and representing them, India will win the World Cup,” the former Indian opening batter added.

The new Indian head coach, as and when selected, will assume charge after the conclusion of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.