Rahul Dravid’s tenure as head coach of the Indian cricket team concluded with their T20 World Cup 2024 victory last month.

Gautam Gambhir is widely regarded as the top candidate to succeed Dravid, although the BCCI has yet to make an official announcement.

Gambhir and former India player WV Raman were interviewed by the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) for the head coach position last month.

According to multiple reports, Gambhir’s appointment is imminent, pending the finalization of salary negotiations. The Indian Express reported that Gambhir and the BCCI are in the “final stages of salary negotiations.” Once his remuneration is agreed upon, the Indian board will make the announcement.

The BCCI’s advertisement for the head coach position stated that the salary is “negotiable and will be commensurate with experience.” Gambhir is expected to receive a higher salary than Rahul Dravid, whose annual salary was around ₹12 crore.

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

During the ongoing T20I tour of Zimbabwe, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman is serving as India’s interim coach.

Additionally, the BCCI will soon invite applications for the team’s support staff positions, as the contracts of batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, and fielding coach T Dilip also ended after the T20 World Cup. Gambhir is expected to have the freedom to select his support staff once the application process is completed.