Following Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as India’s head coach, the BCCI is considering Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipathy Balaji for the national team’s bowling coach position. Sources have indicated that the BCCI is not interested in Vinay Kumar for the role.
Zaheer Khan, one of India’s greatest left-arm pacers, has an impressive record with 311 Test wickets in 92 matches and a total of 610 international wickets across all formats. Lakshmipathy Balaji, another former Indian seamer, has taken 27 wickets in 8 Test matches and 34 wickets in 30 ODIs.
The term of Paras Mhambrey, the former bowling coach, has concluded, prompting the search for a new support staff lineup under Gambhir’s leadership. Gambhir, a former left-handed opener, recently served as the Kolkata Knight Riders’ team mentor in the IPL 2024, guiding them to their third IPL trophy.
Jay Shah, BCCI secretary, expressed his confidence in Gambhir’s ability to steer Indian cricket forward, highlighting his extensive experience and clear vision for the team. Gambhir’s appointment follows the end of Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach, which concluded after India’s victory over South Africa in the final match of the T20 World Cup 2024, securing the prestigious trophy after 17 years.