Reports: W.V. Raman also interviewed by CAC for head coach job, Gautam Gambhir still the frontrunner

Gautam Gambhir and W.V. Raman, former India opening batters, were interviewed on Tuesday, June 18, for the role of India’s men’s cricket team’s head coach. The duo appeared virtually for their interviews conducted by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), as per reports.

Gambhir is being touted as the frontrunner to be successor of current India head coach Rahul Dravid. However, Raman has also thrown his hat into the mix. Reportedly, Ashok Malhotra and his two CAC colleagues – Sulakshana Naik and Jatin Paranjape – were impressed by the presentations of both the candidates.

The BCCI, in May, invited applications for the head coach’s job, for a tenure of three-and-half years starting July 1. The last date for applying was May 27. Whether more applicants were interviewed on Tuesday is yet to be confirmed. However, it is safe to say that it isn't going to be all one-way traffic for the KKR mentor after Raman's entry into the scheme of things.

The Chennai-born has a lot of experience as a coach. His arrival on the scene could give a pleasant headache to the BCCI management, as they look to zero in on their next head coach. Meanwhile, CAC is scheduled to interview an overseas head coach on Wednesday.

"Gambhir had a virtual interview but Raman’s presentation was very impressive and detailed. The CAC is likely to interview an overseas candidate tomorrow. Gambhir has the edge, but Raman’s presentation was very thorough,” a BCCI official was quoted as saying by News18.

Also Read: Reports: Gautam Gambhir interviewed by CAC for India head coach role

Who is W.V. Raman?

Raman played 11 Tests and 27 ODI for India between 1988 and 1997. Since retiring as a player, the left-handed batter ventured into coaching.

Raman has coached teams like Tamil Nadu and Bengal in the past. He also served as the assistant coach of Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) and the batting coach of Kolkata Knight Riders. During his tenure as KKR's batting coach, the Kolkata-based franchise won the coveted IPL title. Interestingly, Gambhir was the captain of that team.

Interestingly, Raman had coached the Indian Colts in 2017 when the then batting consultant Rahul Dravid was unavailable with his India A duties.

In 2015, Raman was appointed as the batting coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Three years later, he took up the head coach's role in the Indian women's team.