Abhishek Nayar To Be Appointed As Assistant Coach, T Dilip To Be Retained by Gambhir: Reports
Gautam Gambhir and Abhishek Nayar (X.com)
On Tuesday, the Board of Cricket Council for India (BCCI) made an announcement that has left all Indian cricket fans thrilled: Gautam Gambhir, the T20 and ODI World Cup winner, will be India's next head coach, succeeding the legendary Rahul Dravid.
The latest report adds another element of intrigue, suggesting that Gambhir, known for his innovative strategies on the field, has opted for Abhishek Nayar not as batting coach but as Team India's assistant coach, along with retaining fielding coach T. Dilip.
Moreover, there are reports indicating that BCCI have shortlisted Indian legend Zaheer Khan and IPL great Lakshmipathy Balaji for the post of India's bowling coach.
During his interview with the BCCI, the T20 and ODI World Cup winner, Gambhir, set a unique condition: He asked for the liberty to choose his own coaching staff. If reports are to be believed, he will bring his Kolkata Knight Riders counterpart to the Indian cricketing set-up.
Talking about Abhishek Nayar, he has had a stellar domestic career. He was a crucial player who made several vital contributions to Mumbai's successful Ranji campaign in 2006. This was followed by his 97 against Gujarat in 2006 and his 152 against Karachi Urban in the Mohammad Nissar Trophy.
In the final of the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy, he made a vital 99 that helped set up Mumbai's 38th triumph. Most recently, he was a part of KKR as Gambhir's assistant coach.
On the other hand, T Dilip, who is likely to retain his spot, has already had a successful stint with the Men In Blue. Only one statement will help you familiarise yourself with him, i.e., Do you remember Suryakumar Yadav's magnificent catch on the long-off during the T20 World Cup 2024 finale? Yeah, well, he was the man behind it.
While we await official confirmation, this much is confident: during Gambhir's Era, we can expect some bold and ruthless decisions to help India further its cricketing legacy.
Gautam Gambhir will begin his coaching duties with India's tour of Sri Lanka starting from July 27.