The BCCI has reportedly denied Gautam Gambhir's request to appoint Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach for the Indian cricket team. Instead, the board is considering some prominent names for the position to join Gambhir's support staff.
Gautam Gambhir, the former India opener, has taken over as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. Replacing Rahul Dravid, under whose tenure India reached the finals of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), the ODI World Cup 2023, and the T20 World Cup 2024, Gambhir has a significant legacy to uphold. Dravid concluded his tenure with India winning the T20 World Cup in Barbados.
The BCCI is providing Gambhir with extensive support as he transitions into his new role. This includes bringing in his own support staff, signalling the end of the road for batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip. While the BCCI has agreed to Gambhir's request to appoint Abhishek Nayar as the assistant coach, they have turned down his request to appoint Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach.
According to a report by news agency ANI, Zaheer Khan, one of India's greatest fast bowlers, is on the BCCI's radar for the bowling coach position. Additionally, Lakshmipathy Balaji, who also has extensive coaching experience in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is being considered.
"BCCI is discussing the names of Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipathy Balaji for the position of bowling coach. BCCI is not interested in the name of Vinay Kumar," sources told ANI.
Both Gambhir and Zaheer played pivotal roles in Team India's 2011 ODI World Cup triumph. Zaheer finished as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 21 wickets, while Gambhir was the top-scorer for India in the final, helping them secure the ODI World Cup after 28 years.