Gautam Gambhir needs to be given time to settle down as India coach: Anil Kumble

Former India captain Anil Kumble backed Gautam Gambhir, saying the KKR mentor is ‘certainly capable’ of taking over from Rahul Dravid and finding success as the head coach of the Indian cricket team.

Gambhir is the frontrunner to become India’s next head coach even as the BCCI began the search for Dravid’s replacement before the T20 World Cup began. Rahul Dravid’s tenure is all set to come to an end after the World Cup in the USA and the West Indies. With Dravid confirming that he wouldn’t reapply, the BCCI seems to have zeroed in on Gautam Gambhir.

“You will have to give him (Gambhir) time. He certainly is capable. We have seen Gautam handle teams, he has been a captain for India, for his franchise. He has all the credentials to be that. But, Indian team coaching is slightly different. So you will have to give him time to settle in,” Kumble told Star Sports.

Gambhir doesn’t have the experience of coaching a senior cricket team. However, the former India opener has proven to be a fine man manager. He worked with the Lucknow Super Giants in IPL 2022 and 2023 as their mentor and oversaw their run to the playoffs in both seasons. Gambhir returned to KKR for the first time since leaving the franchise as a player in 2017. The two-time title-winning captain was appointed as the mentor of the franchise, and he made an immediate impact, overseeing a successful campaign as KKR went on to win their third IPL crown on May 26.

INDIA NEEDS SOMEBODY WITH A STRONG DEMEANOUR: KUMBLE
The former leg-spinner, who worked as India’s head coach in 2016-17, highlighted that India need a strong personality to handle an imminent transition period, highlighting that seniors of the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are in the twilight of their international careers.

Notably, the BCCI, in its call for applications, mentioned that the tenure for the new head coach would be 3.5 years, ending in December 2027.

“You need somebody with a strong demeanour and you want the continuity. Rahul Dravid has done a fantastic job. Hopefully for him, and India’s sake, he will have a memorable swansong in the T20 World Cup here. What you also have keep in mind is that some of the senior players are coming to the backend of their careers, so you need someone who can go through that transition period,” Kumble said.

Meanwhile, Kumble said the BCCI should look at promoting Indian coaches, especially in the Indian Premier League (IPL), to make sure that there is an assembly line of local talents to rely on in the future.

“Also, I think you need to develop Indian coaches. We have an opportunity in the IPL where the players are being developed. Of course, domestic runs and wickets have been good. But in the IPL, they have taken the step ahead. That’s I think is something that you want for the coaches, they need to be under pressure in the IPL. So I think the IPL should be a feeder into the Indian team. If you are only looking at big names, then it’s not easy to find those names. Ideally, you would like to go with coaches who have the experience, who have been there and done that,” he added.