Delhi: When Rahul Dravid decided not to extend his BCCI contract as the head coach of the Indian team, Gautam Gambhir was considered the strongest candidate to replace him. This role was considered suitable for Gambhir, because he played an important role in Kolkata Knight Riders winning the IPL title. Besides, he had also worked as a mentor of Lucknow Super Giants.
Making Gambhir the head coach is a ‘compromise’
According to reports, choosing Gambhir as the head coach was a ‘compromise’ of BCCI. This discussion started in the second phase of IPL 2024, when Gambhir’s name came up as a possible successor to Dravid. Although Gambhir did not have coaching experience, he was selected for the role as there were no other strong contenders.
Gambhir’s tenure as head coach has been disappointing so far. The Indian team lost the ODI series against Sri Lanka and suffered a 0-3 whitewash in the home Test series against New Zealand. Apart from this, the Indian team is also trailing 1-2 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
‘Gambhir was not the first choice’
According to PTI report, BCCI had earlier offered this role to VVS Laxman in place of Gambhir, but he rejected it. After this, some foreign candidates also did not show interest for this post. In such a situation, it became a compulsion for BCCI to choose Gambhir.
A senior BCCI official said, “Gambhir was not the first choice. Some foreign coaches did not want to take responsibility for all three formats, so Gambhir was appointed under an agreement.”
Now Gambhir has time till the Champions Trophy to be held in February, in which he can prove his ability. He will hope that the Indian team performs miracles in the Sydney Test and he gets a chance to continue in his role.
