Gambhir's Vinay Kumar Request Turned Down; Zaheer, Balaji In BCCI Radar To Become India's New Bowling Coach: Report

While the BCCI has reportedly denied Gautam Gambhir's request of appointing Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach, they have some big names in their radar to join his support staff.

Gautam Gambhir had reportedly requested Vinay Kumar to be the bowling coach in his support staff but the BCCI has some bigger names in mind to take that role.

Source : PTI

Gautam Gambhir, the former India opener, has taken over as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. The left-handed cricket star will have massive shoes to fill as he takes over the position from Rahul Dravid under whose tenure India played the finals of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC), the ODI World Cup 2023 and the T20 World Cup 2024, winning the ICC trophy in the shortest format in Barbados to end his tenure.

Having said that, Gambhir will receive all the support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). To begin with, Gambhir is getting his own support staff which means it's end of the road for batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey and fieldingg coach T Dilip. While the BCCI has reportedly agreed to Gambhir's request of appointing Abhishek Nayar as the assisstant coach, they have not agreed to his request of appointing Vinay Kumar as the bowling coach.

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BCCI Not Interested In Vinay Kumar: Report

A fresh report carried by news agency ANI reckons that Zaheer Khan, one of India's greatest-ever fast bowlers, is in the BCCI's radar to be the bowling coach of India. In addition, the name of Lakshmipathy Balaji is also doing the rounds. Both have rich coaching experience as well, in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"BCCI discussing the names of Zaheer Khan and Lakshmipathy Balaji for the position of bowling coach. BCCI is not interested in the name of Vinay Kumar," sources were quoted as saying by ANI.

Interestingly both Gambhir and Zaheer played a vital role in Team India's 2011 ODI World Cup triumph. While Zaheer finished as the tournament's leading wicket-taker, scalping 21 wickets, Gambhir was the top-scorer for the Men in Blue in the final as India beat Sri Lanka to lift an ODI World Cup after 28 years.