Sourav Ganguly Backs Gautam Gambhir To Succeed Rahul Dravid As India’s New Head Coach

Mumbai: Gautam Gambhir has been the centre of attraction when it comes to who would succeed Rahul Dravid as the new head coach of the Indian team. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly opined Gambhir would be a ‘good choice’ for the best interest of the national team if he is appointed. Notably, Dravid became the head coach in 2021 under the leadership of Ganguly at BCCI. The Prince of Calcutta was the BCCI president back then.
Following the BCCI’s advertisement for a new head coach last month, a lot of Indian and foreign names have come up to the fore. Amidst that. Gambhir’s name came into limelight after it was reported that the BCCI had approached the two-time World Cup-winning star to take up the coveted role.
“I am in favour of an Indian coach. If he has applied, Gambhir will be a good coach,” Ganguly said at a promotional event on Saurday. Notably, Gambhir recently mentored his former franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to win their third IPL title after a gap of 10 yearrs.
The former lefthanded India opener appears to be the front-runner for the position, which will fall vacant after Rahul Dravid steps down at the end of India’s T20 World Cup campaign. In a statement a few days ago, BCCI secretary Jay Shah has also hinted that an Indian coach would be preferred.
“Finding the right coach for our national team is a meticulous and thorough process. We are focused on identifying individuals who possess a deep understanding of the Indian cricket structure and have risen through the ranks,” Shah had said.
The BCCI secretary had also stated that having in-depth knowledge of Indian domestic cricket will be one of the important criteria for appointing the next coach. He said the understanding would be crucial to “truly elevate Team India to the next level.”
Ganguly also said India are strong contenders for the T20 World Cup title. Co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies, the event kicks off on Saturday. “India have very good chances in the World Cup. India will have to play like a T20 team. There is enormous talent,” he said.