New Delhi: Former India batter Gautam Gambhir is reportedly not the only candidate to have been interviewed by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) for the post of head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. Former Indian women’s cricket team head coach WV Raman was also reportedly interviewed for the top post alongside Gambhir on Tuesday.
Gambhir, the favourite to replace Rahul Dravid as the next head coach, was interviewed virtually by the CAC on Tuesday. Reports claimed that Gambhir was the only contender in the fray for the top job and thus was the only candidate to be interviewed by the CAC. However, a report in News18 has claimed otherwise.
The report claims the CAC comprising Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape and Sulakshana Naik also interviewed Raman for the top post. It further adds that Gambhir has an edge over the former India women’s team coach but Raman’s presentation was very detailed during the interview and left the CAC members impressed.
“Gambhir had a virtual interview but Raman’s presentation was very impressive and detailed. The CAC is likely to interview an overseas candidate tomorrow. Gambhir has the edge but Raman’s presentation was very thorough,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by News18.
Another overseas name in the fray?
The report also claims that the BCCI has another interview lined up on Wednesday with another applicant, who is not an Indian. The overseas name is likely to be interviewed by the CAC tomorrow following which the three-member committee will submit its feedback to the Indian cricket board. The official announcement for the head coach position is expected in the next few days.
Gautam Gambhir remains the favourite
Raman might have emerged as a rival for Gambhir for the top post but it is well understood that former India batter Gambhir remains favourite to replace Dravid after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2024. Dravid’s tenure will end after the conclusion of the ongoing showpiece event in the US and the Caribbean.
Gambhir emerged as the frontrunner for the position after guiding KKR to a memorable triumph as a mentor in IPL 2024. The former KKR skipper returned to the franchise after ending his two-year stint as a mentor with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and helped them end their decade-long title drought.
Gambhir doesn’t have professional coaching experience but has mentored two teams in the IPL for three seasons. He guided LSG to back-to-back playoffs in their first two seasons before winning the IPL title with KKR this year.
The BCCI has reportedly also interviewed former Indian women’s cricket team head coach WV Raman for the Indian men’s cricket team head coach post. Gautam Gambhir, the frontrunner for the position, was also interviewed by the CAC on Tuesday. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
