Gautam Gambhir addresses rumors of replacing Rahul Dravid as India's head coach after T20 World Cup: 'No Greater Honour…'
PTC News Desk: In light of the ongoing search by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for Rahul Dravid's replacement, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has finally spoken out about his desire to lead the men's senior squad going forward.
Earlier, Gambhir declined to comment despite being the clear favorite to become Team India's captain. In the 2024 edition, Gambhir made a victorious return to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and orchestrated the team's third Indian Premier League (IPL) championship.
Since no prominent foreign head coach is vying for the top spot, Gambhir's candidacy to take Dravid's post at Team India has gathered traction. On Monday, the application window for the Indian men's cricket team's head coach position closed.
Sourav Ganguly, the previous president of the BCCI, had already given Gambhir his blessing to coach Rohit Sharma and company following the T20 World Cup. Does Gambhir want the top position?
"Coaching is the greatest honor there is"
At a gathering in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Gambhir expressed his opinions regarding taking over for Dravid and said he would really love to join the Indian team. "I would like being the Indian team's coach. Being a national team coach is the greatest honor there is. You speak for 140 crore Indians and people somewhere else, too," Gambhir said to PTI.
In June, Dravid's term will come to an end. The Indian head coach's two-year contract expired last year, and he was given a short-term renewal. Dravid's final job as the Men in Blue's head coach is the T20 World Cup.
On June 5, Rohit's Team India will play their first World Cup match against Ireland. India will get ready for the highly anticipated matchup with Pakistan, its bitter rivals, on June 9 in New York.
"I have not responded to this inquiry"
During his speech to students at Medeor Hospital in Abu Dhabi, Gambhir was questioned about accepting the position of coach and bringing an end to India's World Cup title drought. Despite been asked this question by many, I have not responded.
But now I have to respond to you. India will win the World Cup with the support of 140 crore Indians. India will win the World Cup if everyone starts praying for us and we begin to play and represent them. The most crucial element is to have no fear," Gambhir continued.
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- With inputs from agencies
