Gambhir's Choices Face BCCI Roadblocks

After the BCCI confirmed Gautam Gambhir as India's new head coach, all eyes are now on his choices for the support staff.

Typically, the head coach gets to pick the support staff, and Gambhir is no exception. However, the board has reportedly nixed his first choices for bowling and fielding coaches. According to the Hindustan Times newspaper, Gambhir wanted retired pacer R Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach, but the board wasn't on board.

They also turned down his choice of Jonty Rhodes for fielding coach, despite Rhodes' stellar credentials and IPL experience, including working with Gambhir at the Lucknow Super Giants. The BCCI prefers an all-Indian support staff, a policy they have stuck to for the last seven years.

Gambhir is also pushing for Dutch cricketer Ryan ten Doeschate to join the backroom staff, Cricbuzz reported on Thursday.

Ten Doeschate has worked with Gambhir at the Kolkata Knight Riders, serving as KKR fielding coach during their championship-winning IPL 2024 season.

A viral video has been making the rounds on social media, showing Gambhir heaping praise on ten Doeschate. In the video, Gambhir calls him the most selfless person.

'When I talk about selflessness, I have never said this in 42 years of my career. And I wanted to say this. The greatest team man I ever played with, the most selfless human being, someone I can take a bullet for, someone who I can trust for life.

'I can tell you this because in 2011, my first game as a KKR captain, we only had four overseas players available. And this man had a fabulous 50-over World Cup. And we went into that game with only three overseas players. He was carrying drinks in that game with no disappointment on his face. He taught me selflessness. Ryan ten Doeschate,' Gambhir told a KKR event after the franchise won the IPL 2024 trophy.

If ten Doeschate joins the Indian team, KKR will lose at least three members of the coaching staff that helped secure their recent IPL victory. KKR Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar, who is also set to join Gambhir's team, is being considered for an assistant coach's role.

Gambhir was, of course, KKR's team mentor for the IPL 2024 season.