'You are grilling me': Gambhir on his future as potential India head coach

Gautam Gambhir (Pic: AFP)

Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir addressed his future as the head coach of the men's national team and stated that he isn't "looking far ahead" as he is in a "happy space" at the moment.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is evaluating the next head coach as the stint of Rahul Dravid is about to reach its conclusion following the end of the T20 World Cup 2024 in June.

Gambhir has been heavily linked with the role, with many former cricketers backing the 2011 World Cup winner to thrive as the head coach of the Indian team.

He has already said that he would "love to coach the Indian team" and it will be an honour for him if he gets the opportunity to do so.

As Dravid's time with the Men in Blue is slowly reaching towards its end, Gambhir remained tight-lipped about the possibility of replacing his former teammate.

"I don't see that far ahead. You are grilling me, asking me all tough questions. It is difficult to answer right now. All I can say right now is that I am happy being here. Just finished a brilliant journey with Kolkata Knight Riders let's enjoy that. I am in a very happy space right now," Gambhir said during an event in Kolkata.

The left-handed opener served as Kolkata Knight Riders' team mentor in the Indian Premier League 2024. The return of the franchise's former captain saw the Knights lift their third IPL trophy.

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He talked about his coaching philosophy and emphasized the need to treat everyone equally rather than focus on a couple of individual players.

"In a team sport, it's the team that matters the most. It's the team that is the most important ingredient in that organisation. Individuals do play a role, and individuals do contribute, but ultimately, if 11 people are treated equally, if 11 people have equal respect, if everyone is treated equally, given the same respect, same responsibility, given the same honour, you will achieve an unbelievable amount of success. You cannot have discrimination in a set-up or in an organisation," he added.

The Indian team is currently thriving in the T20 World Cup 2024 after they began their Super 8 campaign with a 47-run win over Afghanistan.

The Rohit Sharma-led unbeaten side will face Bangladesh on Saturday at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.