As the Indian cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, lifted the T20 World Cup trophy, head coach Rahul Dravid’s tenure with the team concluded. Following the triumphant victory over South Africa by seven runs, BCCI President Roger Binny praised the Men in Blue and suggested that Gautam Gambhir would be a valuable successor as head coach.
With India’s victory in the T20 World Cup 2024, the BCCI is actively considering the next head coach. Dravid’s tenure is set to end following this tournament, and Gambhir, a 2011 World Cup winner, is a prominent candidate. Many former cricketers support Gambhir for the role, citing his extensive experience across all formats of the game.
Gambhir has expressed his interest in the position, stating that he would be honored to coach the Indian team. However, he has remained reserved about the possibility of taking over from Dravid.
“Gautam Gambhir has a lot of experience, and if he takes the job, it’s definitely going to be beneficial for Indian cricket. India needs a coach who has played the game in all three formats,” Binny said.
After the final match, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirement from T20 internationals, marking the end of an era. Binny acknowledged the challenge of replacing these key players but emphasized the potential of young talent in the IPL to fill their shoes.
“They have been outstanding…it will be very difficult to replace them immediately…it is going to be a great loss. Hopefully, we can bring in some young cricketers. The IPL is full of talent,” Binny added.
Under Dravid’s leadership, India made significant strides, reaching the finals of the ODI World Cup and the 2023 World Test Championship, though they fell short against Australia in both. The 2024 T20 World Cup victory ended India’s 11-year ICC title drought, highlighting the unity and strategic planning within the team.
“Rahul as a cricketer has been fantastic. His contribution to the team has been tremendous because of the experience he brought to the table … he really did a fantastic job with them. It’s just unfortunate that he lost a few games, he lost the last World Cup,” Binny said.
