Gautam Gambhir is touted to become the next head coach of the Indian national men's cricket team. The former opener appeared for an interview last week and multiple reports claimed that he will be named successor to outgoing Rahul Dravid. (Full Coverage | Cricket News)
And that can happen soon after the end of India's ICC T20 World Cup campaign in the Americas. Rohit Sharma & Co. will take on Australia in their final Super 8, Group 1 match later today (June 24, 2024) with semi-final spots still up for grabs.
Back home, Gambhir continues to hog the limelight.
Gambhir, 42, has reportedly asked for at least five things [read: conditions] during the online meeting with the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) comprising former players Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape and Sulakshana Naik on June 18.
According to Navbharat Times, the demands mostly related to the national team's future. Here's a look at the 'five conditions' that Gambhir has laid down for the CAC.
1. Full control of the cricketing operations, without any interference from the board.
2. To pick his support staff, including batting, fielding and bowling coaches.
3. Goal setting for four senior players -- Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Shami. Gambhir, the report claims, wants these four to help India win the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is likely to be held in Pakistan.
4. Separate teams for different formats, with a focus on Test cricket.
5. Start preparing a roadmap for the 2027 ODI World Cup, in earnest.
In June, before appearing for the interview, Gambhir had expressed his desire to coach India.
"Look, I would love to coach the Indian team," Gambhir had said. "There is no bigger honour. There is 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?"
Gambhir won the T20 World Cup World 2007 and ODI World Cup 2011 with the national team -- scoring 75 runs off 54 balls and 97 from 122 in the respective finals.
The left-handed opener also captained Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to two Indian Premier League (IPL) titles, in 2012 and 2014. He mentored KKR to their title in 2024.
