In a significant development, the BCCI has turned down Gautam Gambhir's recommendation of Jonty Rhodes for the role of fielding coach, following the rejection of Vinay Kumar as bowling coach.
After BCCI confirmed Gambhir as India's new head coach, following a unanimous recommendation by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), attention shifted to the support staff selection. Like his predecessor Rahul Dravid, the tenure of India's batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip ended with the T20 World Cup.
The BCCI typically allows the head coach to pick their support staff, but Gambhir's initial choices were not accepted. Gambhir had shown interest in hiring former India pacer R Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach and South African legend Jonty Rhodes as the fielding coach. Despite Rhodes' impressive credentials and his work with Gambhir at the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, the BCCI was not keen on hiring a foreigner for the support staff, maintaining an all-Indian support staff policy for the past seven years.
Sources indicate that T Dilip, who previously did a commendable job with the Indian team, is likely to continue as the fielding coach. This practice of retaining members from previous coaching teams is not unprecedented. Vikram Rathour, for instance, joined Ravi Shastri's coaching team after the 2019 ODI World Cup and continued through Dravid's term.
Former India batter VVS Laxman, currently the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), is also expected to play a significant role. Gambhir's statement emphasises his intent to work closely with Laxman, the BCCI, and the support staff to achieve success in upcoming tournaments.
Gambhir is anticipated to be joined by his own set of support staff soon. Among the potential appointments is former India player Abhishek Nayar, who worked with Gambhir as an assistant coach at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
This decision underscores the BCCI's commitment to maintaining an all-Indian support staff and the challenges Gambhir faces in shaping his coaching team.