TROUBLES Ahead of SL Series: BCCI Rejects Gautam Gambhir's Coaching Staff Recommendations- REPORT

Gautam Gambhir is set to assume the role of head coach for Team India later this month. Gambhir will receive the role after India's tour of Zimbabwe concludes. Gambhir was appointed as the new coach on July 9th, and his first task will be to guide the squad in a series against Sri Lanka. Gautam Gambhir is expected to achieve success alongside the Indian cricket team, which recently emerged as champions in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 under the direction of the former head coach, Rahul Dravid.

Also Read: ‘He Might Play a Bad Shot’: Tim Paine Reveals Why He Was Forbidden to Distract Kohli 

Gautam Gambhir’s coaching staff still not confirmed ahead of the Sri Lanka tour 

Gautam Gambhir is having trouble completing his support crew and is running into BCCI opposition for most of his first picks. The board recently decided against his proposal of Morne Morkel as the bowling coach.

The BCCI has so already turned down five of Gambhir's proposals. Including the former South African fast bowler, who coached Pakistan's bowling team during the ODI World Cup last year and is presently connected with the IPL team Lucknow Super Giants in the same capacity, piqued his especially interest. There were several reports that the BCCI turned down his suggestion, nevertheless.

The BCCI has turned down Gambhir's selected bowling coach candidate three times now. Initial board deliberations also rejected his past suggestions, R Vinay Kumar and Laximipathy Balaji.

The board's denials encompass more than just the bowling coach position. Gambhir's choices for fielding coaches, Ryan ten Doeschate and Jonty Rhodes, were both rejected.

Out all Gambhir's choices, it appears that only former India all-rounder Abhishek Nayar is likely to join his support staff. Nayar may take on the role of either an assistant coach or a batting coach. Although no decisions have been made, some sources suggest that Nayar, who is renowned for his ability to enhance the careers of Dinesh Karthik and Shreyas Iyer, is likely to be approved by the board.

While the qualifications of the rejected candidates are not in dispute, a notable commonality among them is their affiliation with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Gambhir either served as their captain or collaborated with them as a member of KKR's coaching staff. Morkel, Balaji, and Vinay Kumar all played three seasons for KKR under Gambhir's leadership. Nayar, although not being a player under Gambhir's leadership at KKR, served as the assistant coach for the team that Gambhir guided to an IPL championship this year.