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In a move that marks a significant departure from the norm, Gautam Gambhir is set to take on a role that no previous Team India head coach has undertaken.

 

The head coach of the Indian senior team is reportedly poised to accompany the India 'A' team on its upcoming overseas tour, a first in the history of the national coaching structure.

 

While the Indian team prepares for the Indian Premier League (IPL) after the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy, Gambhir intends to stay active by joining the India 'A' team ahead of the senior team's tour of England in June.

 

According to reports, Gambhir will become the first head coach of the senior team to travel with the 'A' team for an overseas tour.

 

The move is in stark contrast to the approach of his predecessors, including Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri, both of whom did not accompany the India 'A' team while holding the senior coach's position.

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In recent years, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has assigned National Cricket Academy (NCA) coaches, such as Dravid and VVS Laxman, to lead junior teams on these tours.

 

However, Gambhir has made it clear that he intends to break this trend. "Gambhir has been in discussions with the BCCI since he returned from Australia. He has expressed his desire to travel with the India 'A' team to get a clearer view of the reserve pool," a BCCI source said.

 

The decision comes in the wake of India’s underwhelming performance in Australia, with Gambhir eager to rejuvenate the country's red-ball team.

 

According to sources, he believes that understanding the talent pool at the India 'A' level is vital to his task of reinvigorating the senior squad.

 

Gambhir has also expressed his concern over the limited number of India 'A' tours organised in recent years.

 

“One of the crucial issues identified is reviving India 'A' tours. There have been only a handful of 'A' series after Dravid left NCA and all of those were shadow tours for a marquee series. Gambhir too believes that there needs to be more 'A' tours,” the source added.