KARACHI: India’s men’s cricket team, which has suffered a historic T20 slump after losing series against Ireland and England respectively, is set to change coaches, Indian media reported on Saturday.
The Men in Blue, who were the first team to successfully retain the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title earlier this year, are likely to undergo a coaching overhaul, with at least one key member out of the Gautam Gambhir-led squad, according to a report in an Indian news website.
The current coaching staff of the reigning T20I champions have signed a two-plus-one deal with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with their tenure formally starting in July 2024.
According to the agreement, the cricket board and coaches have the option to extend their tenure by one year after the initial two years, but at least one member is likely to join them in talks with an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise already with a global presence, the report suggested.
However, the report insisted that the move was not prompted by the team’s recent defeats in Ireland and England, but rather by deep rifts in the dressing room that led to a 2-0 home Test series whitewash against South Africa last year, while disagreements between coaches and selectors worsened the situation.
“This potential move is not due to the team’s poor performances in Ireland and England, but rather something that has been building over the past few months,” read the report.
“The rift in the dressing room has deepened since the two-Test loss at home against South Africa. It’s not a happy place at the moment. Disagreements between the selectors and the coaches have further complicated things,” it added.
The report also suggested that India’s decision to send different coaches for the short Zimbabwe series may have been prompted by the possible exit of one of its existing support staff.