NEW DELHI: BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla has come out with a clear statement on the speculation surrounding Gautam Gambhir’s future as head coach of the Indian Test team, firmly dismissing reports of any imminent change.
Earlier, several media reports had claimed that the BCCI was approaching former legends to replace Gambhir as India’s Test coach.
Those reports surfaced in the wake of India’s poor run in red ball cricket, which has all but ended the team’s hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship final in 2027.
Reacting to the reports, Shukla said there is no plan to remove Gambhir or appoint a new head coach for the Indian team. He also pointed out that the BCCI secretary has already clarified the board’s position on the matter.
“I want to make it very clear regarding the speculation circulating in the media about head coach Gautam Gambhir. The BCCI secretary (Devajit Saikia) has also made it very clear that there is no plan to remove Gambhir or bring in a new head coach for India,” Shukla told ANI.
The statement comes amid mounting scrutiny of India’s Test performances under Gambhir. India were whitewashed 3-0 at home by New Zealand for the first time in history, followed by a 3-1 defeat in the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, which pushed them out of the top two and ruled them out of the World Test Championship final.
The struggles continued when South Africa secured a 2-0 series win in India, further raising questions over Gambhir’s tactics and approach.
