Coach Ki Khoj: Who will be Team India's next head coach?

Former Indian batsman and National Cricket Academy head VVS Laxman suits best for the post of Team Indias head coach by replacing Rahul DravidWith BCCI secretary Jay Shah ruling out the possibility of having different coaches for red and white ball formats it will be a hunt for one candidate who will have to live out of a suitcase for the majority of the next three and half yearsWith Rahul Dravids contract ending after the T20 World Cup 2024 he can reapply for the position But with BCCI open to accepting applications from interested parties by May a day after the IPL 2024 final it is learnt that the board is looking for a new faceHere are some of the big names who could be interested in applying for the postVVS LaxmanIf he applies for the top post Laxman will be a runaway favourite The 49yearold has been NCAs head for the past three years and is overseeing the development of the next batch of Indian cricketers through the boards pathways system India A and India U19He was in charge of coaching responsibilities of Team India in the absence of Dravid Team India under his coaching has played in the Asian Games T20I series against Australia England New Zealand and IrelandAlso ReadRicky Ponting expresses his views on Impact Player rules discontinuationWith Rohit Sharma Virat Kohli Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami being around the corner for at least another two years Laxman can act as a bridge between the new and old players in the teamMust be willing to meet work expectations and pressures associated with handling marquee athletes is one of the job requirements and who better than Laxman who shares great rapport with the current batchGautam GambhirThe ones who have played toplevel cricket in the last 10 years and have seen the game evolve through formats Gautam Gambhirs intelligence also cant be ignored During his captaincy stint for KKR where they won two titles and backtoback playoffs with LSG in their first two years Gambhir has always been praised for his management skillsUnder his mentorship Kolkata Knight Riders have seen success in the IPL 2024 They became the first team to qualify for the playoffs Also his deep emotional attachment to KKR and a personal bond with principal owner Shah Rukh Khan could stop him from applyingThe other thing that makes Gambhir a strong contestant is his strongminded quality Virat Kohli will also be around for the better part of the next three years and given the history between both of them it could be a rocky terrain But it must be mentioned that Gambhir and current skipper Rohit Sharma share a terrific relationshipJustin LangerAshes and T20 World Cupwinning Australian coach is a good tactician but also a strict disciplinarian In a recent interview Langer did say that he is not averse to giving it a thought but being an India coach could be both mentally and physically demandingThe same perks are always available in the IPL working just for two months a year If Dravid doesnt reapply the most important series would be the one Down Under and who better than JL to provide some inside information about his home teamA Gambhir or Gujarat Titans head coach Ashish Nehra has proved their coaching abilities in white ball cricket but not in the longest formatWith PTI Inputs