After appointing Gautam Gambhir as head coach of the Indian team, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now lining up its option to decide the remaining support staff. Over the past few days, several names have been linked to the bowling coach position, including Zaheer Khan, Lakshmipathy Balaji and R Vinay Kumar. While a final decision has yet to be made, Cricbuzz has now reported that Gambhir has asked the BCCI to also consider former South Africa Morne Morkel for the job.

The report also claimed that BCCI has already held talks with Morkel, who played who played 86 Tests, 117 ODIs, and 44 T20Is for the Proteas. Morkel was Pakistan’s bowling coach during the ODI World Cup last year in India, but resigned from his post before his contract expired.

Both Gambhir and Morkel were part of Andy Flower‘s support staff at the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for two seasons. While Gambhir left LSG to join KKR as mentor, Morkel decided to stay at LSG under new head coach Justin Langer.

Gambhir was the captain of KKR when Morkel joined the franchise in 2014. The former India opener has always been a big fan of Morkel, who he often described as the “fiercest bowler he had ever faced”.

“While a final decision has yet to be made, it appears that the BCCI may reach a conclusion soon. One of the considerations is Morkel’s young family and the extensive travel required for the India job. He lives in the plush Seaforth suburb in northern Sydney with his wife Roz Kelly, a sports presenter on Channel 9. The couple have two children,” the report stated.

If BCCI and Morkel manage to find an agreement, the former South African pacer will replace Paras Mhambrey, who was part of Rahul Dravid‘s support staff for the past three years.

If the reports are to be believed, Morkel could join former KKR teammate Ryan ten Doeschate and Nayar in Gambhir’s support staff.

The BCCI is keen on retaining fielding T Dilip from the outgoing Dravid regime.

Gautam Gambhir was appointed the new Indian cricket team head coach following the end of Rahul Dravid‘s tenure after the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph. Gambhir will start from the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka with the new head coach all set to recruit a completely new support staff for the national side. Former Pakistan cricket team skipper Shahid Afridi said that it was a huge opportunity for Gambhir and praised him for ‘talking positively’ and his ‘straightforward’ approach to the sport.

“I think it’s a big opportunity, and we need to see how he makes the most of it. I have seen his interviews, and he talks positively and is very straightforward,” Afridi said on Star Sports.

Legendary South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn was quite pleased with Gambhir’s appointment and he said that he is a fan of Gambhir’s aggression.

“I’m a big fan of Gautam Gambhir. I love his aggression. He’s one of the few Indians I ever played against who came back at you, and I like that. I think he’s going to take that into the dressing room with guys like Virat and some of the other senior players who might not play as big a part anymore. I’m not too sure,” Steyn told Star Sports.

“Not just in India, but in world cricket, we need guys who are a little bit more aggressive and play the game a little bit harder. We all seem to play in the leagues against each other, and we become quite friendly and friends. I like the way that he’s fierce on the field but a gentleman off the field. He’s also streetwise, a very smart cricketer, and has a great cricket brain. So I think from that point of view, he’s going to be fantastic for them too,” he added.

Former South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis shared his thoughts on Thursday following Gautam Gambhir’s selection as the next Indian Cricket Team’s head coach. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday announced that former cricketer Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the Indian men’s cricket team’s new head coach. “It’s great to see Gautam getting into the coaching side of things. He’s got a really good cricket brain. He’ll bring some fire and loves playing the game aggressively. I think he’ll bring that added touch, and the guys will certainly learn a lot from him. He’s got a lot to add and will bring significant value to that Indian side. I wish him all the best–not too much against us, but I’m sure he’ll do a fantastic job,” Kallis said while speaking on Star Sports.

Gambhir was a left-handed opener for Team India and served as Kolkata Knight Riders’ team mentor in the Indian Premier League 2024. KKR lifted their third IPL trophy this season under Gambhir’s guidance.

Jay Shah took to his official X account and announced Gambhir’s appointment as Team India’s new head coach.

The BCCI secretary added that he has his full confidence in Gambhir and that he will be the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward.

“It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr Gautam Gambhir as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Modern-day cricket has evolved rapidly, and Gautam has witnessed this changing landscape up close. Having endured the grind and excelled in various roles throughout his career, I am confident that Gautam is the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward. His clear vision for #TeamIndia, coupled with his vast experience, positions him perfectly to take on this exciting and most sought-after coaching role. The BCCI fully supports him as he embarks on this new journey,” Shah wrote on X.

Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the head coach of Team India came to an end after the conclusion of the final of the T20 World Cup 2024, where India beat South Africa by seven runs to win the prestigious trophy after 17 years.

Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn lauded Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as India’s head coach and said his aggression and game awareness on the field will be beneficial for the Men in Blue. BCCI announced Gambhir as head coach of the Indian team after the departure of Rahul Dravid. India clinched the T20 World Cup title to end the 11-year-long ICC trophy drought in his last assignment. “I’m a big fan of Gautam Gambhir. I love his aggression. He’s one of the few Indians I ever played against who came back at you, and I like that. I think he’s going to take that into the dressing room with guys like Virat and some of the other senior players who might not play as big a part anymore. I’m not too sure,” Steyn told Star Sports.

“Not just in India, but in world cricket, we need guys who are a little bit more aggressive and play the game a little bit harder. We all seem to play in the leagues against each other, and we become quite friendly and friends. I like the way that he’s fierce on the field but a gentleman off the field. He’s also streetwise, a very smart cricketer, and has a great cricket brain. So I think from that point of view, he’s going to be fantastic for them too,” he added.

Former Proteas all-rounder Jacques Kallis also remains confident in Gambhir’s ability to excel in the job with his aggressive nature.

“It’s great to see Gautam getting into the coaching side of things. He’s got a really good cricket brain. He’ll bring some fire and loves playing the game aggressively. I think he’ll bring that added touch, and the guys will certainly learn a lot from him. He’s got a lot to add and will bring significant value to that Indian side. I wish him all the best—not too much against us, but I’m sure he’ll do a fantastic job,” Kallis said.

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi added, “I think it’s a big opportunity, and we need to see how he makes the most of it. I have seen his interviews, and he talks positively and is very straightforward.”

Gambhir will join the Indian side for the Sri Lanka tour, where India will play three T20Is and as many ODIs against Sri Lanka, starting on July 27.

Gautam Gambhir was appointed the new Indian cricket team head coach with Rahul Dravid‘s tenure coming to an end following the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph. Gambhir was the frontrunner to succeed Dravid for quite some time and his first assignment as head coach will be the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka. However, the appointment meant that Kolkata Knight Riders lost their mentor under whom they clinched the IPL 2024 title. There have been multiple reports that assistant coach Abhishek Nayar can join Gambhir in the Team India coaching staff and as a result, KKR are looking to revamp their coaching staff for the 2025 season. While Dravid was rumoured to be one of their choices, a report claims that KKR can be looking at legendary South Africa cricketer Jacques Kallis.

Kallis was part of KKR during his playing days and as a player, he won the IPL title in 2012 and 2014 under the captaincy of Gambhir. Kallis was also the batting consultant for KKR in the 2015 season and he was appointed head coach after Trevor Bayliss resigned to take over as England head coach.

Kallis was the KKR head coach for four Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons till 2019 when he stepped down from his position and went on to join South Africa cricket team as their batting consultant. 

With Gambhir joining the Indian cricket team as head coach, Kallis can make a comeback in the KKR coaching setup and a report by The Telegraph said that his name is doing the rounds right now.

“The franchise is also on the lookout for a replacement for Gambhir, who was key to its third IPL crown this year. The name of legendary South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis, who had coached KKR in 2019, is also doing the rounds,” the report stated.

Former India cricketer and reputed pundit Aakash Chopra has stated that the most important responsibility lying on the shoulders of new Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir is to ensure a smooth transition after the 2025 Champions Trophy. Indian captain Rohit Sharma and stalwart Virat Kohli will be 37 and 36 years old respectively after the Champions Trophy, and Chopra believes the onus is on Gambhir to figure out whether they should still be part of the ODI set-up come the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Gambhir was officially announced as the new head coach of Team India on Tuesday, taking over from Rahul Dravid after India won the 2024 T20 World Cup. Chopra also mentioned that Gambhir has a huge legacy to carry forward, left behind by Dravid.

“ODI cricket will be a 50-50. What after the Champions Trophy? The next World Cup is in 2027, so the transition will start after the Champions Trophy itself. He will have to figure it out” stated Chopra on his YouTube channel.

“The truth is we are talking about players whose names come among the greatest of all time. So they would also know when and how to leave, and whether they can stay till 2027,” Chopra added.

Chopra implied that balancing the situation of moving on the old guard and growing the new will be a step that Gambhir needs to take delicately. Chopra also mentioned that Gambhir has been saved the headache in the shortest format, as Kohli, Rohit and Ravindra Jadeja announced their T20I retirements after the World Cup win.

“India have reached the finals of the last three ICC events. Dravid has left behind a fantastic legacy. Rohit Sharma also wrote a huge post about that legacy. Maintaining and taking the legacy forward will be a challenging task (for Gambhir),” Chopra expressed.

Gambhir’s first assignment as India coach comes in the form of a white-ball series against Sri Lanka in late July.

The newly appointed India head coach Gautam Gambhir is reportedly pushing for the inclusion of former Dutch cricketer Ryan ten Doeschate into the team’s coaching staff. Ryan ten Doeschate recently collaborated with Gambhir at the Kolkata Knight Riders, where he contributed as the team’s fielding coach during their victorious 2024 campaign. Beyond his role with KKR, Ten Doeschate holds multiple positions within the franchise’s subsidiaries, including in the Caribbean Premier League, Major League Cricket, and ILT20.

According to a report in Cricbuzz, Gambhir, who has requested a free hand in managing the team, wants the 44-year-old Dutch as one of his key associates. However, the final decision rests with the BCCI, which has recently favoured hiring only Indian personnel for coaching roles.

Earlier, reports claimed that Abhishek Nayar, a former India all-rounder and integral part of the KKR backroom team, is likely to join Gambhir’s team as an assistant coach.

The ongoing deliberation revolves around the role Ryan ten Doeschate could potentially take up if selected but the BCCI wants to retain T Dilip, a member of Rahul Dravid’s existing coaching team, for the position of fielding coach, the report added.

Ten Doeschate, who played under Gambhir’s captaincy between 2011 and 2015, won two IPL titles with KKR during his time with the franchise.