At the end of the ongoing T20I World Cup the term of incumbent head coach of India Rahul Dravid will be coming to an end but there is no confirmation yet as to who will be replacing Rahul Dravid. However, one name that has reportedly been doing the rounds is that of former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir. 

Gautam Gambhir has come up as the frontrunner to succeed Rahul Dravid, but official confirmation has yet to be made by the BCCI. Gautam Gambhir has no coaching experience at the international level, but he has huge coaching experience in the IPL. Recently, he mentored Kolkata Knight Riders at the IPL 2024 and took them to the title victory. Amid reports of Gautam Gambhir succeeding Rahul Dravid, former Indian cricketer Anil Kumble feels that Gambhir is incredibly capable but coaching team India is a different thing. 

"You need somebody with a strong demeanour and you want the continuity. Rahul has done a fantastic job, and hopefully, for him and India's sake, he has a swansong with the World Cup. What you also have to keep in mind is that some of the senior players are coming towards the backend of their careers. You need players who go through the transition period and ensure India doesn't miss out the quality in the bowling and batting department. You pick and choose and transition through," Kumble said on ESPNCricinfo.

Kumble, meanwhile stated that BCCI should put emphasis on nurturing Indian coaches.

"Also, I think you need to develop Indian coaches. We have an opportunity in the IPL where the players are being developed. Of course, domestic runs and wickets have been good. But in the IPL, they have taken the step ahead. That's I think is something that you want for the coaches, they need to be under pressure in the IPL. So I think the IPL should be a feeder into the Indian team. If you are only looking at big names, then it's not easy to find those names. Ideally, you would like to go with coaches who have the experience, who have been there and done that," he said.

“You have to give him time. He certainly is capable. We have seen Gautam handle teams. He has been a captain for India, for his franchise, for Delhi. He has all the credentials to be that. But Indian team's coaching is slightly different, you have to give him time to settle in. Like I mentioned, in case he takes up the job, he will have the task of looking at not just the current lot, but also the future of Indian cricket.”