Gautam Gambhir. (Source – Twitter/X)
Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as India’s next head coach seems to be confirmed as he is reported to have recently attended a shoot at Eden Gardens to bid farewell to his fans in the City of Joy. The Indian Cricket Team is currently sans a head coach after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ended with the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph.
Gambhir has been the frontrunner to succeed Dravid. Another contender, WV Raman, who impressed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) with his presentation, could come up second in the race.
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While the official confirmation is yet to come from the BCCI regarding the appointment of Gambhir, a recent act from the former opener has all but confirmed his next destination in Indian cricket. According to a report in Times Now, a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) official has confirmed that Gambhir was present at the iconic Eden Gardens on Friday, July 5, to attend a ‘farewell shoot’.
“It was a low-key affair, but Gambhir wanted to bid goodbye to his fans with a message and that is why they shot a video at the Eden,” the official said on condition of anonymity.
The video was reportedly shot by Gambhir’s personal team, and not his IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders. The video reportedly intends to highlight Gambhir’s journey at KKR, including his recent stint in IPL 2024 season as the team’s mentor. The 42-year-old was roped in as the mentor of the Kolkata-based franchise ahead of the 2024 edition of the IPL and he did wonders in his first year in the role as the Shreyas Iyer-led side won the title convincingly.
The video is expected to be released after Gambhir’s appointment as Team India’s new head coach is made official. The BCCI secretary Jay Shah had earlier confirmed that the new head coach will be in charge of Team India’s tour of Sri Lanka, which will feature 3 ODIs and as many T20Is. Currently, the Men in Blue are facing Zimbabwe in a five-match T20I series, where the head of National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, VVS Laxman, is serving as the head coach.