Gautam Gambhir all but confirms his appointment as India head coach

Gautam Gambhir has dropped the biggest hint yet that he could replace Rahul Dravid as the next head coach of Team India. Dravid would step down from the post after the conclusion of the ongoing T20 World Cup this month.

Last month, the BCCI had invited applications and the deadline to submit the form was May 27. While there is very little clarity over who will become India's next head coach, several media reports have stated that Gautam Gambhir is the front-runner for the high-profile job. According to Cricbuzz, Gautam Gambhir and BCCI secretary Jay Shah have already had a discussion about the coach's post.

The same news outlet also reported that a very high-profile owner of an IPL franchise has claimed that the former India opener's appointment as the head coach is a done deal and the announcement will come soon. Another high-profile commentator also confirmed the same, stating that the BCCI wants to rope in the former batsman.

I would love to coach Indian: Gautam Gambhir

The BCCI, however, is yet to make a public announcement and many believe that the reason behind it is that both the parties are still negotiating on multiple fronts. The India coach's job is definitely one of the most sought-after posts in the game but comes with a number of challenges.

One of the main challenges is the hectic schedule. The job requires close to 10 months of travel which will definitely be a big challenge for someone like Gautam Gambhir who has a young family. However, the World Cup-winning cricketer has cleared the path for the BCCI to give him the job. In a recent event, Gambhir stated that he would love to become Team India's head coach.

"I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour than coaching your national team. You are representing 140 crore Indians and more across the globe as well and when you represent India, how can it get bigger than that?

"It is not me that will help India win the World Cup, it is 140 crore Indians who will help India win the World Cup. If everyone starts praying for us and we start playing and representing them, India will win the World Cup. The most important thing is to be fearless," said Gambhir when a student asked him if he wishes to coach the Indian Cricket Team, as quoted by ANI.

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As of now, Gambhir is the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders and will have to give up the role if he accepts BCCI's offer. Gambhir is yet to coach a national or state team but has made a big impact in the IPL as a mentor. After guiding Lucknow Super Giants to the playoffs in the last two years, he guided KKR to their third title and first since 2014.