Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who was interviewed by the BCCI for the head coach position, will replace Rahul Dravid after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. However, even if Gambhir is appointed as the next head coach, he would sill not accompany the national side for the upcoming Zimbabwe tour.

The current head coach Dravid has stated that he will not reapply for the high-profile position after the ongoing ICC event, which is his final assignment. After the T20 World Cup, India will be touring Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series in July. During this tour, India are expected to rest their senior players. Additionally, reports indicate that Gambhir will not be traveling with the Indian team to Zimbabwe.

According to a PTI report, National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief VVS Laxman will coach the Indian squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe T20I series. Nest month, Laxman and his NCA support staff will join the team. The BCCI is expected to announce India’s T20I squad for the series later this week, featuring top performers from IPL 2024. Either Suryakumar Yadav or Hardik Pandya is likely to captain the young Indian side.

“Laxman and a few NCA coaches might travel with the fresh and young Indian squad to Zimbabwe. Whenever Rahul Dravid and the senior team’s coaching staff have taken breaks, Laxman and the NCA team have stepped in to fill the void,” commented a BCCI source to the PTI.

Former India opener Gautam Gambhir is set to be appointed as the new head coach, edging out former women’s team coach WV Raman for the role. Gambhir’s appointment is reportedly a mere formality, and Dravid’s successor is expected to be announced in the coming days.

Gambhir will begin his coaching tenure with India’s upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka next month, which includes three T20Is and three ODIs.