Abhishek Nayar, The New Assistant Coach Of India!

As Gautam Gambhir steps into his role as head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, his support staff is beginning to take form.

The new lineup is expected to blend experience from state cricket and the Indian Premier League (IPL) while potentially retaining a key member of the previous coaching team.

Abhishek Nayar, a former India all-rounder and current Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) batting coach, is tipped to join Gambhir’s team. Their strong professional relationship at KKR and Nayar’s reputation for dedication make him a likely choice for an assistant coach position. Whereas, Gambhir himself may take on batting coach responsibilities.

Meanwhile, T Dilip, the fielding coach under outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid, may retain his position despite earlier indications of a complete staff overhaul. This decision would provide some continuity in the coaching setup.

The bowling coach position remains open, with former IPL colleagues Lakshmipathy Balaji and Vinay Kumar in contention. However, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly considering higher-profile candidates with proven track records in developing young talent. The aim is to nurture India’s fast bowling bench strength, focusing on emerging pacers like Harshit Rana, Tushar Deshpande, and Mayank Yadav.