Reports: New India head coach Gautam Gambhir prefers Abhishek Nayar as deputy

India's new head coach Gautam Gambhir has reportedly requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to appoint Abhishek Nayar as his deputy. The duo played a key role for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 as the Shreyas Iyer-led side won the coveted title by nonchalantly beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.

On Tuesday, July 9, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah officially announced Gambhir as India's new head coach. The former India cricketer had applied for the role after the BCCI invited applications ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Rahul Dravid's tenure as India's head coach ended on a high as Rohit Sharma's men lifted the title after 17 years. The former Karnataka cricketer has been replaced by Gambhir, who beat stiff competition from erstwhile India women's team coach WV Raman.

As reported by India Today, Gambhir, who served as KKR's mentor in IPL 2024, is keen on bringing Nayar into India's support staff. The former all-rounder is the assistant coach of the Kolkata-based franchise and is also the head of the KKR Academy. Nayar's coaching credentials have been praised by the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Varun Chakravarthy, among others. The wicketkeeper-batter had credited the former Mumbai cricketer for his late resurgence as a finisher.

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Nayar also shares a healthy relationship with the current crop of Indian players, especially captain Rohit. The two Mumbaikars have known each other for a very long time, having played together for a number of years in domestic cricket.

The BCCI on Tuesday confirmed that alongside Dravid, other members of the support staff like batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip would be making their way out.

“The Board also congratulates Mr Paras Mhambrey (Bowling Coach), Mr T. Dilip (Fielding Coach) and Mr Vikram Rathour (Batting Coach) on a highly successful tenure. The BCCI values their contribution and wishes them the best going forward,” a statement from the BCCI read.

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Gambhir is set to take charge from the upcoming series against Sri Lanka, where India play three T20Is and as many One-Dayers.