The Board of Control for Cricket in India has finally confirmed that former opening batsman Gautam Gambhir will be the new head coach of the men’s cricket team, replacing the present coach in the lineup, Rahul Dravid. It was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday, July 9, which became a big change in management for Team India. On Dravid’s watch, the Men in Blue finally broke their 11-year ICC trophy drought by winning the T20 World Cup 2024—a high benchmark set for Gambhir going into his upcoming stint.
Other members of the national team’s coaching staff are yet to be decided by the BCCI. Gambhir proposed the names of his former colleagues Abhishek Nayar as the batting coach and Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach. However, it is learnt that the BCCI has other highly experienced people on their minds to take care of these important positions.
The first step in reshaping this coaching staff is the announcement made by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah about appointing Gambhir. The board is presently evaluating potential candidates for bowling and batting coaches. Now, an ANI report says that former World Cup-winning bowlers Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipathy Balaji are being considered for the role of bowling coach by the BCCI. This step stipulates the idea of the board to bring in experienced professionals known for mentoring young talents.
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Having been an integral part of the Indian team that won the ODI World Cup in 2011, Zaheer Khan ended up as the highest wicket-taker in the said tournament. Having 610 international wickets under his belt, Zaheer has an illustrious career—_fb—and has been associated with the Mumbai Indians’ coaching staff since retirement. Now venturing into the field of broadcasting, he does have enough experience to fit well as a bowling coach.
Another strong contender, Lakshmipathy Balaji, represented India in eight Tests and 30 ODIs, scaling 27 and 34 wickets respectively. He turned to coaching after his retirement in 2016 with the Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings, gathering valuable experience. His experience as an IPL coach and the fact that he worked with young bowlers can come in very handy for the national team.
BCCI unlikely to agree to Vinay Kumar’s name as India’s bowling coach.#BCCI #GautamGambhir #ZaheerKhanhttps://t.co/yJJX09Bs2V
— Times Now Sports (@timesnowsports) July 10, 2024
By having strong fast bowling reserves of its own, BCCI is keeping something which will play a central role in the success of the team. The next bowling coach will have to nurture talents like Harshit Rana, Tushar Deshpande, and Mayank Yadav. Though Gambhir has formally reiterated his preference for Vinay Kumar, sources in the BCCI said that they were looking at candidates with a proven record in coaching.
The new coaching staff, led by Gautam Gambhir, will take charge for the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka from July 27 to August 7. VVS Laxman and the coaches of the National Cricket Academy are currently involved with the Indian team during the ongoing T20I series in Zimbabwe.
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The decisions finally concerning the subject of support staff, taken by the BCCI, will be of immense importance in the future of Indian cricket. What comes out of appointments now is going to affect not only series to be played immediately but also the formation of a team on a long-term basis, especially ancillary staff in terms of cultivating young talent while keeping India competitive at the highest international level.
