Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the head coach of the Indian cricket team ended with the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph late last month.

While former opener Gautam Gambhir is considered as the front-runner to replace Dravid, the BCCI is yet to make an official announcement.

It is pertinent to mention here that Gambhir and former India international WV Raman were interviewed by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) for the head coach role last month.

Multiple reports suggest that it is only a matter of time before Gambhir takes over the mantle. But the question remains, how much time?

The answer lies in salary negotiations. According to a report published in The Indian Express, Gambhir and BCCI are in the "final stages of salary negotiations". The moment his remuneration is finalised, the Indian board will make the announcement.

When the BCCI invited applications for the head coach post, it clearly mentioned in the advertisement that the remuneration is “negotiable and will be commensurate with experience."

Gambhir is likely to draw a higher salary than the erstwhile coach, Rahul Dravid, whose yearly remuneration was around ₹12 core.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah has already confirmed that India will travel to Sri Lanka for a white-ball series with a new head coach later this month.

In the ongoing T20I tour of Zimbabwe, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman is playing the role of the India’s interim coach.

The report also claims that the BCCI will soon invite applications for the team’s support staff as the tenures of batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip also came to an end after the T20 World Cup.

The board will reportedly give Gambhir a free hand to choose his support staff once the application process is completed.

(The Indian Express Inputs)