After the appointment of Gautam Gambhir as India's new head coach on July 9, following a unanimous recommendation by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), the focus has now shifted to his support staff. Similar to Rahul Dravid, the tenures of India's batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip also ended with the T20 World Cup. The BCCI expressed gratitude to Dravid, Rathour, Mhambrey, and Dilip for their services, indicating a complete overhaul of the coaching staff under head coach Gambhir from the Sri Lanka tour onwards. However, there might be one exception, as T Dilip could continue as India's fielding coach.
BCCI rejects Gambhir's demand again?
BCCI lets the head coach to select their own support staff generally, and same will happen with Gambhir. However, the former India opener's top choices for bowling coach and fielding coach have been rejected by the board. Gambhir had shown interest in appointing former India pacer R Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach, but the board was not enthusiastic about this choice. Hindustan Times has reported that that BCCI has also turned down Gambhir's preferred candidate for fielding coach, Jonty Rhodes. Despite Rhodes' impeccable credentials and reputation as one of the best fielders in the history of the sport, as well as his experience with various IPL teams including his collaboration with Gambhir at the Lucknow Super Giants, the BCCI is not inclined to hire a foreigner for the support staff. For the past seven years, India has been operating with an all-native support staff, and the board wishes to maintain this practice.
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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) considered Jonty Rhodes for a coaching position, according to sources close to the Hindustan Times (HT). However, they ultimately decided to maintain an all-Indian support staff. This opens the door for Dilip to return, who was well-regarded for his previous work with the Indian team.
It's not uncommon for a member of the prior coaching staff to stay on under a new head coach. For instance, Rathour replaced Sanjay Bangar after the 2019 World Cup and remained on the team under Ravi Shastri until Rahul Dravid took over.
There's a possibility Dilip could follow this path. Additionally, former Indian batsman VVS Laxman, who heads the National Cricket Academy (NCA), is expected to play a significant role.
"Cricket has been my passion and I look forward to working closely with the BCCI, Head of Cricket – VVS Laxman, the support staff, and, most importantly, the players, as we work towards achieving success in the upcoming tournaments," Gambhir said after his appointment as India's head coach.
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