Gautam Gambhir’s lengthy post-IPL final chat with Jay Shah sparks speculation about India head coach role

PTC News Desk: On Sunday night at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Kolkata Knight Riders coach Gautam Gambhir was ecstatic as his team defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad to win the IPL championship for the third time ever. Additionally, he was very busy as he took pictures and celebrated with every member of the KKR team.

Amidst the festivities, he made time to greet BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who happened to be at the IPL final. He was then observed engaging in a long conversation with Shah.

The front-runner to succeed Rahul Dravid as head coach is now Gambhir. The reign of the Indian legend expires in June following the 2024 T20 World Cup. Since Dravid was unwilling to reapply, BCCI invited candidates to take his place for the prestigious role. The agreement is supposed to run through the conclusion of the ODI World Cup in 2027.

During the course of BCCI’s search, two Australian icons—Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer—were connected to the India head coach vacancy. However, both men denied applying. Shah also made it clear that the BCCI had not contacted the pair about the position, and he noted that the board prefers an Indian to take it on since he is more accustomed to and knowledgeable about local cricket than a foreign coach would be.

If Shah’s clues weren’t enough to suggest that Gambhir is the front-runner for the position, his actions on Sunday, when he met and congratulated the 2011 World Cup winner while KKR was celebrating in Chennai, certainly did.

Gambhir, who is interested in taking over for Virat Kohli as India’s head coach, has not yet submitted his application, according to a story published in Dainik Jagran on Saturday. He may meet with certain BCCI executives in Chennai following the IPL final. But as soon as he does, BCCI would formally declare him to be Dravid’s replacement.

The story further states that before applying for the position, Gambhir must speak with Shah Rukh Khan, a co-owner of KKR, which puts him in a bit of a pickle. Before the IPL 2024 season began, the Bollywood actor was instrumental in persuading Gambhir to rejoin KKR as the team’s mentor from the Lucknow Super Giants. He also offered him a blank cheque with the stipulation that he would pay any amount the player requested.

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