Revealed: When will Gautam Gambhir meet Indian selectors to pick the team for Sri Lanka tours?

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), in a bold move, has recently appointed Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team, succeeding Rahul Dravid, whose tenure ended with the conclusion of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Gambhir's appointment marked the beginning of a new era for Team India, as one and all expect his aggressive and strategic approach to take them to the next level. Well, the former Indian opener’s three-and-a-half-year stint as head coach will start with the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

Indian cricket team steps into new era, as Gautam Gambhir set to meet national selectors

According to News18, Gambhir is gearing up for his first meeting as the Indian cricket team head coach with the All-India Senior Men Selection Committee to finalize the squad for the upcoming limited-overs series in Sri Lanka. The report claimed the newly-appointed head coach will have his first meeting with the Indian selection committee later this week.

However, the date has not yet been revealed, but Gambhir will meet the five-man selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, which consists of Shiv Sundar Das, Subroto Banerjee, Salil Ankola, and Sridharan Sharath, within three days to finalize the T20I and ODI squads for the Sri Lanka tour.

India’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka will mark a significant transition period, as stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have announced their retirement from T20I cricket and are unlikely to feature in the ODI series as well.

It is being said that Kohli and Rohit are likely to be rested from the upcoming three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka, considering the hectic Test schedule ahead for them with Team India.

KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya set to lead Team India in Sri Lanka

With Rohit and Kohli retiring from T20Is and expecting to rest for the ODI series, KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya are likely to take on leadership duties on the upcoming Sri Lanka tour. Rahul is expected to take the reins of the ODI team, while Pandya will lead the T20I squad in Sri Lanka.

A BCCI source was quoted as saying by Sports Tak: “It is expected that in the absence of Rohit, Hardik and KL are the options to be given the responsibility of captain. Both have captained the team earlier. If Hardik is not available for the T20Is, you might see Suryakumar Yadav as captain in T20Is and Rahul in ODIs. But for now, it seems that Hardik and KL will lead the team.”

It is being said that Gambhir’s salary for coaching Team India has not been finalized yet, but it is likely to be within the same range as that of his predecessors, Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri. Notably, Dravid was reportedly getting INR 12 crore annually from the BCCI for his services.

However, the legendary cricketer had enough coaching experience to earn that sum as compared to Gambhir, who has not had any coaching experience both in domestic and international cricket. However, Gambhir has had successful stints with KKR and LSG as a mentor in the Indian Premier League (IPL).