Gautam Gambhir has chosen former all-rounder Abhishek Nayar to be the assistant coach for Team India. Gambhir, who is now the new head coach of the men's national team, worked with Nayar at Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024.
Gambhir has asked the Indian cricket board (BCCI) to include Abhishek Nayar in his support staff team, according to news agency PTI. Nayar has been a great mentor, leading the KKR academy. Many young and experienced cricketers have praised Nayar for helping their careers. Dinesh Karthik often talks about how Nayar helped him become a better finisher. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy also mentioned Nayar after KKR won their third IPL title in May.
The BCCI announced that Vikram Rathour (batting coach), Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach), and T Dilip (fielding coach) will also leave along with Rahul Dravid, who stepped down after India won the T20 World Cup.
"The Board thanks Mr. Paras Mhambrey, Mr. T. Dilip, and Mr. Vikram Rathour for their successful work. The BCCI values their contributions and wishes them the best," the BCCI said.
Gambhir applied for the head coach job after the BCCI invited applications before the T20 World Cup. Rahul Dravid, who thought about quitting after the ODI World Cup loss last November, stayed on and ended his coaching career on a high note. Dravid said that Rohit Sharma called him after the ODI World Cup final and asked him to stay until the T20 World Cup.
BCCI SUPPORTS GAMBHIR
Gambhir has no experience coaching a senior national team. He hasn't even coached an IPL team, but his work as a mentor at Lucknow Super Giants and the Knight Riders has been impressive.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah said he hopes that Gambhir will lead the team to success.
“Gambhir has been a strong competitor and a smart strategist. We believe he will bring the same energy and leadership as Head Coach. His move to Head Coach is a natural step, and I believe he will help our players do their best," Shah said.
Gambhir will start his role as head coach during India's upcoming series against Sri Lanka, starting July 27.
