Former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir is the only applicant for the Indian men’s national team head coach position. He will be interviewed by the Cricket Advisory Committee on June 18. Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India’s head coach will conclude after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had invited applications for the role in mid-May, with May 27 being the deadline.

Gautam Gambhir serves as the mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders, the current IPL champions. Former cricket players Jatin Paranjpe, Sulakshana Naik, and Ashok Malhotra are part of the CAC.

The CAC will also hold interviews in order to choose a selector to fill Salil Ankola’s place. The new selector will probably come from the North Zone, as Ankola and top selector Ajit Agarkar are both from the West Zone. Agarkar took over as the new selector in July last year, after Chetan Sharma resigned following his sting operation. When Agarkar joined the selection panel, Ankola was already a selector.

“We are holding interviews with potential applicants to fill the positions of selector and head coach. Following the CAC’s recommendation to the BCCI, the board will formally announce its decision,” stated a BCCI source.

The BCCI confirmed that no former Australian players was approached for the position. Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer, both IPL coaches, stated they had declined offers to become the India national team coach.

“Neither the BCCI nor I have contacted any former Australian cricketer for the head coach job. The media reports are completely inaccurate. Choosing the correct candidate for national team coach is an extensive and thoughtful process. We are committed to identifying candidates with extensive knowledge of the Indian cricket system and a proven track record,” BCCI secretary Jay Shah had said.

The BCCI outlined key requirements for the new head coach, including the ability to handle the expectations and pressures of working with high-profile players, as well as the capacity to develop a world-class Indian cricket team capable of achieving success across formats. The chosen candidate must also motivate current and future generations of cricketers and stakeholders.