The deadline has passed! The BCCI won’t be accepting any more applications for the post of India Cricket Team‘s head coach. However, it is expected that a little time would be needed to decide the next head coach. It is expected that no foreigners have applied, while the names of VVS Laxman and Gautam Gambhir remain at the top of the strata.
India’s current head coach Rahul Dravid’s tenure comes to an end after the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup. Now India wants a coach that has risen from it’s domestic ranks. This means that negates any chance of having a foreign coach.
Laxman or Gambhir?
Gautam Gambhir’s name has been on the limelight for quite sometime. And now it has risen exponentially after the mentor helped Kolkata Knight Riders win IPL 2024. But then again, Gambhir hasn’t coached any team, be it domestic or international.
On the other hand, VVS Laxman is the head of the National Cricket Academy. But he too is not interested to manage India. Why? Laxman too doesn’t want a full time job which will see him traveling with the team for a span of 10 months.
Big Conundrum! Lack of Options for BCCI
Despite being the richest cricketing board of the world. This time the options for BCCI is very limited. The apex body’s chief target was VVS Laxman. With Laxman not interested, the BCCI turned their attention to Gautam Gambhir. And with the deadline passed, it remains to be seen who gets the job.
“The deadline is fine, but the BCCI brass wouldn’t mind taking some more time before reaching a decision. Right now, the team will be busy with World T20 for the better part of the month of June. After that seniors will be rested from tours of Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe where any of the NCA-based senior coaches can accompany the team. So what’s the hurry,” a BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.