With Gautam Gambhir already expressing his desire to coach Team India in the future, the two-time World Cup winner has received strong backing from another World Cup-winning coach to take over the coaching reins from Rahul Dravid. India head coach Dravid has confirmed that the legendary cricketer will not reapply for the high-profile job. The 2024 edition of the ICC T20 World Cup will be Dravid's final assignment as the head coach of Rohit Sharma's men.

From legendary cricketer Sourav Ganguly to ex-India opener WV Raman, several former cricketers have backed Gambhir to succeed Dravid as the new head coach of the Indian team after the T20 World Cup. Former India coach Lalchand Rajput, who guided MS Dhoni's India to a historic T20 World Cup title in the inaugural edition, has also approved Gambhir's candidature for the high-profile job.

'Gambhir is a no-nonsense guy'

Speaking to news agency PTI in an interview, Rajput said that a shrewd tactician like Gambhir can make a good coach for Rohit's men. Former India coach Rajput also termed Gambhir as a no-nonsense guy. "Gambhir is a no-nonsense guy, he has played cricket the hard way and he reads the game well and that has been seen for KKR (Kolkata Knight Riders) as well," Rajput said.

Gambhir raised his stocks for the top job after mentoring Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Making a triumphant return at Eden Gardens, Gambhir masterminded KKR to their third IPL crown in 2024. The deadline to apply for the head coach's job was May 27. However, Gambhir still needs to confirm whether the KKR mentor has submitted his application. For Gambhir, there is no bigger honour than coaching the national team.

'He is a shrewd tactician as well'

"KKR was the same team last year and you see the difference that he made this year. He is a shrewd tactician as well. I am sure with all his experience — he has won two World Cup (wins) as a player — that will really add value. He is a good candidate, but it all depends upon BCCI who they want. He will be the right candidate to take Indian cricket forward," Rajput added.

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