Gautam Gambhir Offered Blank Cheque by Shah Rukh Khan to Manage KKR for 10 Years
Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir is reportedly first on the list of BCCI’s top contenders to succeed Rahul Dravid as India men’s cricket team head coach. Gambhir reportedly has shown interest in taking up the job but is yet to formally apply for the post.
May 27 is the deadline for sending in the application and Gambhir is reported to meet a few BCCI officials on the day of IPL 2024 final as KKR gear up to take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai.
According to Dainik Jagran, while Gambhir is keen on the challenge, he will have to convince KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan to let go of him after being convinced before the IPL 2024 to rejoin the franchise in the role of a mentor.
The publication claims that Shah Rukh met with Gambhir before the ongoing IPL season and asked him to take over the management of KKR for the next 10 years while offering him a blank cheque.
Gambhir has proven his management skills in the IPL after being first roped in by Lucknow Super Giants as a mentor when they made their debut in 2022. The former India captain spent two seasons with the team as they qualified for the playoffs on both the occasions.
Gambhir then reportedly was convinced by Shah Rukh to join KKR before IPL 2024.
Gambhir was the captain when KKR won both their IPL titles and the franchise has seen instant result upon his arrival as they not only topped the league stage but also qualified for the final.
A few high-profile names have been linked with the India head coach job including VVS Laxman, Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, Stephen Fleming besides Gambhir,
Ponting recently indicated he held talks during IPL 2024 regarding the coaching role with the Indian team but cited the long-term commitment and being on the road for nearly 10 months in a year as the main reasons behind not showing interest. BCCI, on their part, though have denied approaching anyone for the role individually.
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