‘You will have to give him time’ – Anil Kumble backs Gautam Gambhir to be India’s next head coach

Gautam Gambhir. (Photo Source: ANI)

As the coaching tenure of Rahul Dravid with the Indian team ends soon, former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir has come forward as one of the biggest front-runners for the role in the future. Many reports have stated that the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) has decided on Gambhir as the next coach, with the announcement imminent in the upcoming month. 

Gambhir was recently appointed as the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the IPL 2024, and due to Gambhir’s excellent tactics and the brilliant performances that KKR put in, the side managed to lift their third IPL title.

Amidst the discussions, former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble has come forward and backed Gambhir to be the next head coach of the Indian team. Kumble opined that Gambhir could be the perfect man for the job, but he will need time to settle with the side.

“You will have to give him time. He is certainly capable. We have seen Gautam handle teams. He has been captain for India, for his franchise, for Delhi. He has all the credentials to be that. But, India team coaching is slightly different. You have to give him time to settle in. And like I mentioned, in case he does take up the job, he will have the task of looking at not just the current lot but also the future of Indian cricket,” Kumble told ESPNcricinfo.

You have been a part of the system in some form or the other: Kumble

Furthermore, Kumble talked about how it is important to pick out a candidate who is familiar with the surroundings of the Indian team and should have the ability to handle various pressure situations.

“You have been a part of the system in some form or another, whether you are a coach or a player, you’ve played with them or been associated with the team in some form or the other. I don’t think it certainly matters that much. What you need to certainly look at is the kind of candidature that you are going to pick and not necessarily go with whether this particular player or this particular coach has had a background of playing with the players and then that sort of coming in the way or not,” Kumble said.