Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir opened up on not genuinely considering coaching as a path after his retirement as a player as well. He had moved into broadcasting and politics before becoming the coach through the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well. However, Gambhir played a massive role as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor, overseeing the team building ahead of their first auction, and guiding them to reach the consecutive playoffs. He then joined the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), helping them to win their third title in history.

However, his triumph in the 2024 IPL made him one of the best candidates in the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) perspective to be Rahul Dravid’s successor as Team India’s head coach as well.

“I never thought about coaching. In fact, I never thought about coaching India even a couple of months back. Obviously, first, it is an absolute honor to be representing your country once again, coming back into the dressing room where you have spent a lot of time, and we have done some special things, have had some great memories with all of you guys,” Gambhir responded to Kohli’s query during their interaction released by BCCI.

However, he is the youngest candidate to take on the role of Team India head coach. His tenure started with a successful 3-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka in a T20I series, but the team faced a 0-2 loss in the ODI series as well.

“Looking at the kind of tours we have got, we have the Champions Trophy, the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup. So, sometimes you want to challenge yourself and keep pushing yourself forward. That was one of the reasons I thought that yes, I can contribute. Unless and until you do not have the full support of your family, it is difficult to make such decisions,” Gautam Gambhir concluded.