Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) got a huge jolt when their mentor Gautam Gambhir decided to ditch the franchise and take up the Indian team head coach job. Gambhir returned to KKR for IPL 2024 and guided them to their third title win in the season.
It was reported that Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan had given Gautam Gambhir a blank cheque to remain with the franchise for the next decade. However, when the BCCI called Gautam Gambhir to replace Rahul Dravid as the Indian team head coach, the former India opener couldn’t refuse and chose the Indian team job.
His departure left a significant void in the Kolkata Knight Riders coaching staff since Gambhir had hired Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate as part of the Indian team’s coaching staff. The defending champions have begun their search to replace Gambhir.
Jacques Kallis and Ricky Ponting, former KKR players, shortlisted for KKR head coach job
Now as per a report in Sangbad Pratidin, Kolkata Knight Riders has begun the process of finding a replacement for Gambhir and has shortlisted two former Kolkata Knight Riders players South Africa’s Jacques Kallis and Australia’s Ricky Ponting.
Ponting had made his debut in IPL with KKR and played one season in 2008. Kallis, on the other hand, is a Kolkata Knight Riders legend and was part of KKR’s 2012 and 2014 IPL-winning sides under Gambhir’s leadership.
Kallis has previously served as a member of the Kolkata Knight Riders coaching staff. He was designated their batting consultant in 2015 and, after Trevor Baylis’ departure, their head coach the following year. They are hoping to re-appoint the Proteas veteran to the coaching team to help head coach Chandrakant Pandit.
Ponting just left the Delhi Capitals, and Rahul Dravid became the new head coach of the Rajasthan Royals, succeeding Kumar Sangakkara. However, Sangakkara is expected to stay at the Royals as a Director of Operations, which leaves Kolkata Knight Riders with two options: Ponting and Kallis.
The three-time IPL champions will try to settle their coaching staff ahead of the blockbuster IPL auction. However, the BCCI has yet to declare the player retention policy, despite various reports indicating that the IPL clubs are not in agreement on the number of retentions ahead of the auction.
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