Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are reportedly considering South African veteran all-rounder Jacques Kallis for the role of mentor, following Gautam Gambhir's appointment as the head coach of Team India. Gambhir, who led KKR to their IPL 2024 title victory under his mentorship, will be taking on his new role with the national team, leaving a vacancy at KKR.
Initial media reports suggested Rahul Dravid as a potential replacement for Gambhir. However, according to The Telegraph, KKR might turn to a legendary foreign cricketer for this role. The franchise is considering Jacques Kallis, who has a rich history with KKR, having previously played for and coached the team.
Kallis was an integral part of the KKR team that won IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 under Gambhir's captaincy. He later transitioned into a coaching role, serving as KKR's head coach from 2016 to 2019. In 2019, Kallis resigned from KKR to become the batting consultant for the South African cricket team.
Gautam Gambhir's first assignment as India's head coach will be the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka. India will play three T20 Internationals and three ODIs in Pallekele and Colombo during their tour of Sri Lanka in July and August. Team selections for both India and Sri Lanka have not yet been announced. India's last tour of Sri Lanka was in 2021.