BCCI Secretary Jay Shah confirmed that two candidates have been shortlisted for the role of India‘s new head coach. This follows the conclusion of Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India’s coach after their unbeaten T20 World Cup campaign. The BCCI had initiated the application process for the coaching position on June 13.

Reports indicate that Gautam Gambhir is the frontrunner to succeed Dravid as the new national team coach, following his successful stint as mentor for the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2024. Gambhir has openly expressed his eagerness to take on the coaching role.

According to reports, Gambhir was interviewed for the coaching role on June 18. Shah has now confirmed that a new coach will be appointed before the upcoming Sri Lanka series. CAC has narrowed down two candidates for the position after conducting interviews. The BCCI Secretary, who is currently with the team in Barbados, told PTI that the final decision will be made after he returns to Mumbai.

“CAC has picked out two candidates for the coach and selector positions. The CAC will finalize their decisions after meeting in Mumbai, and the selected individuals will be appointed shortly. Meanwhile, VVS Laxman will travel to Zimbabwe, while the new coach will join the team from the Sri Lanka series,” stated Shah.

The reports state that Gambhir, WV Raman, and a foreign candidate were shortlisted for the position.

Despite the onset of a new era in Indian cricket, BCCI Secretary Shah hinted that senior players would be included in the squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy. Furthermore, the BCCI has set its sights on winning both the World Test Championship and the Champions Trophy in 2025, and plans to field a similar squad to achieve these goals.

“Given the team’s steady progress, our goal is to win both the World Test Championship final and the Champions Trophy. The same core squad will compete in these tournaments, with the senior players leading the charge,” he added.