Gautam Gambhir is struggling to finalize his coaching staff, facing resistance from the BCCI regarding many of his preferred candidates. Unlike previous team management, Gambhir’s recommendations have frequently been rejected by the board, with Morne Morkel’s proposed role as bowling coach being the most recent example.

Gambhir wanted to rope in the former Proteas speedster in his coaching staff. Morkel had previously served as Pakistan’s bowling coach during the ODI World Cup 2023 and currently holds the same role with the IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants. However, as per sources, the BCCI has rejected Gambhir’s requests.

Gautam Gambhir’s first two choices for the Indian team’s bowling coach – former pacers R. Vinay Kumar and L. Balaji – were reportedly rejected by the BCCI during initial discussions. This was Gambhir’s third recommendation for the role, but it too was turned down by the board.

The board has rejected the former opener’s choices not only for the bowling coach position, but also for the fielding coach role. Specifically, the board turned down Gambhir’s choices of Ryan ten Doeschate and Jonty Rhodes as fielding coaches.

According to reports, former India all-rounder Abhishek Nayar is the leading candidate to join Gambhir’s coaching staff, potentially as an assistant or batting coach. Though nothing has been finalized, multiple media outlets suggest the former Mumbai cricketer is likely to get the green signal.

Morkel, Balaji, and Vinay Kumar each played three seasons for KKR under Gambhir’s captaincy. In contrast, Nayar was the only player who did not play for KKR under Gambhir, though he served as the assistant coach for the franchise that Gambhir mentored to the IPL title this year.

The BCCI typically grants its head coaches significant autonomy in assembling their support staff, a longstanding practice dating back to the tenures of Greg Chappell and Gary Kirsten, when they were able to utilize relatively lesser-known names in cricket.