New head coach Gautam Gambhir seeks Abhishek Nayar as his deputy: Report
Gautam Gambhir has sought the services of former all-rounder Abhishek Nayar for the assistant coach role for Team India.
Gambhir, who was formally announced as the new head coach of the senior national men’s team, worked with Nayar at Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024.
Gambhir has requested the Indian cricket board (BCCI) to rope in Abhishek Nayar into his support staff team, according to news agency PTI. Nayar has been a prolific mentor, overseeing the KKR academy as its head. Several young and veteran cricketers have lauded Nayar’s role in helping shape their careers. Dinesh Karthik has often spoken about the impact Nayar has had in his late revival as a finisher at the highest level. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy made a special mention of Nayar after KKR lifted their third IPL crown earlier in May.
Gambhir left his job as the mentor of the Knight Riders after just one season to take up the role of India’s head coach. The former opener was hugely credited for KKR’s success in IPL 2024. Gambhir and Nayar have a close working relationship and the ex-Mumbai cricketer also has a good rapport with Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma.
The BCCI on Tuesday confirmed that the support staff team of Vikram Rathour (batting coach), Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach) and T Dilip (fielding coach) would also make their way out along with Rahul Dravid, who stepped down from the head coach role after India’s T20 World Cup triumph.
“The Board also congratulates Mr Paras Mhambrey (Bowling Coach), Mr T. Dilip (Fielding Coach) and Mr Vikram Rathour (Batting Coach) on a highly successful tenure. The BCCI values their contribution and wishes them the best going forward” the BCCI said in a statement.
Gambhir applied for the head coach role after the BCCI invited applications before the T20 World Cup. Rahul Dravid, who was contemplating quitting the job after the ODI World Cup heartbreak in November last year, carried on and finished his coaching stint on a high. Dravid revealed that Rohit Sharma had called him after the ODI World Cup final and insisted him to stay on until the T20 World Cup.
BCCI BACKS GAMBHIR TO SHINE
Gambhir has no previous experience coaching a senior national team. The World Cup-winning former opener has not even coached an IPL side, but his stints as mentor at Lucknow Super Giants and the Knight Riders have been noteworthy.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah said he is hopeful that ‘fierce competitor’ Gautam Gambhir would lead the team to new heights.
“Gambhir has been a fierce competitor and a brilliant strategist. We believe he will bring the same tenacity and leadership to his role as Head Coach. His transition to the role of Head Coach is a natural progression, and I believe he will bring out the best in our players,” Shah said.
“I am confident that he will inspire and lead the team to new heights. His vision for the future of Indian cricket aligns perfectly with our goals, and we are excited about the journey ahead. Congratulations to him and best of luck for this new journey.”
Gambhir will begin his stint as the head coach during India’s upcoming series against Sri Lanka, starting July 27.