Former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble has commented on Gautam Gambhir possibly being appointed as India’s new head coach as Rahul Dravid is set to step down after the T20 World Cup 2024.
Talking to ESPN Cricinfo, Kumble was asked if Gambhir would be a good choice for the Indian coaching position or not to which he replied, “You will have to give him (Gambhir) time. He is certainly capable. We’ve seen Gautam handle teams. He has been a captain for India, for his franchise and for Delhi. He has all the credentials to be that but Indian team coaching is slightly different. You will have to give him time to settle.”
He also listed down Gambhir’s responsibilities if he does take up the job saying, “and like I mentioned, if he does take up the job, he will have the task of not just looking at the current lot but also the future of the Indian team.”
Gambhir has never coached a domestic or franchise team let alone an international team. However, Gambhir has been a mentor in the Indian Premier League (IPL) of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, he was appointed mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and in 2024, KKR lifted the trophy.
Kumble, however, has no worries with Gambhir having no experience in coaching.
“Today you sort of have been part of the system in some form or the other whether you are a coach or whether you are a player. You have played with them or have been associated with the team in some form or the other.”
The former Indian captain stated that the kind of coach India needs is not someone who has played with the current players or not but someone who has the credibility to do so.
“So I don’t think it certainly matters that much what you certainly look at is the kind of candidate you are going to pick and not necessarily go with whether this particular player or this particular coach has had a background of playing with the players and that is sort of coming in the way or not coming in the way. So I think it is important that you pick the right candidate in terms of what they can bring to the Indian team and someone who has the kind of stature and credibility to handle certain situations in the game and someone who takes those calls and is not afraid to take those calls.”
Nevertheless, Gambhir being approached for the position or having applied for the position has not been confirmed by BCCI or Gambhir himself. The announcement of the new head coach will come after the T20 World Cup ends.
- Gautam Gambhir
