India’s new head coach, Gautam Gambhir, urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India to name Abhishek Nayar his assistant. This comes after the duo tasted success together at Kolkata Knight Riders during the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League, where they emerged champions by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the title decider under the leadership of the flamboyant Shreyas Iyer.
The BCCI secretary, Jay Shah, confirmed Gambhir as India’s head coach on Tuesday, July 9. He applied for the position after the BCCI invited applications for the same ahead of T20 WC 2024. Rohit Sharma’s team won the title in Rahul Dravid’s tenure, ending a 17-year drought.
Gautam Gambhir was picked ahead of some strong contenders which included former India women’s team coach WV Raman. According to India Today, Gambhir, who was KKR’s mentor in IPL 2024, is keen to have Nayar included in India’s support staff.
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Abhishek Nayar is a highly experienced former all-rounder and currently the Kolkata-based franchise’s assistant coach while also heading the KKR Academy. His coaching acumen has been highly praised by the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Varun Chakravarthy among others, with the former crediting the latter for his resurgence as a finisher.
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Abhishek Nayar set to join Gautam Gambhir’s support staff with the Indian team.
Good move? https://t.co/ftTrDFzJUX pic.twitter.com/X0apj6up3Z
— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) July 10, 2024
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Abhishek Nayar also maintains a strong rapport with the current Indian players, especially captain Rohit Sharma. The two have a long-standing relationship from their years of playing together in Mumbai’s domestic cricket circuit.
The BCCI also confirmed that other support staff would be leaving along with Dravid. Batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip will all step down.
“The Board also congratulates Mr. Paras Mhambrey (Bowling Coach), Mr. T. Dilip (Fielding Coach), and Mr. Vikram Rathour (Batting Coach) on a highly successful tenure. The BCCI values their contribution and wishes them the best going forward,” said the BCCI.
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Gautam Gambhir will join the fray from the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, where India takes part in three T20Is and three One-Day Internationals. Fans and analysts alike are expecting pomp, pleasure, and a continuous streak of form as this new chapter of Indian cricket unfolds under Gambhir’s stewardship.
