Gautam Gambhir meets Jay Shah after IPL final amid India Head Coach rumours; netizens speculate, ‘Salary kitna loge’

Amid growing speculation about possible candidates to replace Rahul Dravid as India head coach, KKR mentor Gautam Gambhir had a friendly meeting with BCCI secretary Jay Shah after the IPL 2024 final on Sunday. Notably, KKR, who had a new mentor this season, defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets to lift their first IPL trophy in 10 years.

The tenure of India's current head coach, Rahul Dravid, had come to an end after last year's ODI World Cup. However, the BCCI had decided to give Dravid a short-term extension with the T20 World Cup starting in June.

The BCCI had also opened applications for the post of India head coach earlier this month, looking for a long-term candidate to lead the Men in Blue until the 2027 ODI World Cup. The top names doing the rounds for the head coaching position are NCA chief VVS Laxman, CSK coach Stephen Fleming and former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene.

However, Gautam Gambhir is reportedly the most prominent name in the running to replace Rahul Dravid. According to a recent report in Danik Jagran, Gambhir is also keen to apply for the job of India head coach, but only if he is given a 'selection guarantee'. In other words, Gambhir will only apply for the job if he is sure of getting it. He doesn't want to be just another candidate for the top job," the publication said.

‘Credit’ to Gautam Gambhir for IPL 2024 victory: Rinku Singh

In an interaction after the match, KKR batter Rinku Singh credit the team's success in IPL 2024 to Gautam Gambhir. He said, "Outstanding feeling right now. Dream has come true - I have been here for 7 years and we are so happy. Credit to GG sir. I will finally lift the IPL trophy. It was God's plan,"