New Delhi: The Indian cricket team is likely to undergo a coaching reset, with at least one prominent member of the support staff set to leave.At this moment, it is not very clear if the possible exit is merely due to the coaching staff member’s rising displeasure to continue in the current role or is moving on to take up a new coaching position or both.The Gautam Gambhir-led coaching group took charge in July 2024, beginning with the limited-overs series against Sri Lanka.For the record, bowling coach Morne Morkel had joined the coaching unit a little later, ahead of the Bangladesh Test series, while the rest of the support staff began their tenure alongside Gambhir.It is understood that the support staff had signed a 2+1 contract with the BCCI. While the cricket board and the coaches have the option of extending their tenure by one year after the initial two-years, it is understood that at least one coach has already held discussions with an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise with a global presence and is likely to join their setup.The possibility of another member of the support staff also moving on in the near future cannot be ruled out at this stage.TimesofIndia. com reached out to the coaches concerned, and the IPL franchise for comment on the strong murmurs within Indian cricket circles. The story will be updated as soon as they respond.This possible move is not due to the team’s poor outings in Ireland and England, but rather something that has been brewing over the past few months. It is learnt that cracks have deepened in the dressing room since the two-Test defeat against South Africa at home, and it is not the happiest place to be at the moment. The disagreements between the selectors and the coaching staff have further complicated matters.It is further understood that Sairaj Bahutale’s addition to the coaching setup as spin-bowling coach was not a stop-gap arrangement. Bahutale had earlier served as the interim bowling coach for the 2024 tour of Sri Lanka when Morkel was unable to join the team due to a family emergency.While there is no confirmation, the potential exit of support staff members may have prompted the Indian cricket board to send a different set of coaches for the short Zimbabwe series. A well-placed source questioned this move because the Gambhir-led support staff had a long break during the IPL, and the Zimbabwe series would have been only their fourth assignment, a very short one.“I don’t quite understand the need to send VVS Laxman to Zimbabwe. I also do not understand the plan to send him for the Asian Games. There is clearly more than meets the eye, and perhaps the Indian cricket board is exploring options,” said the source.BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia issued a statement on Friday emphasising that the board would review the team’s recent performances, but asserted that “nothing else will be discussed”.“The BCCI is currently observing the performance of the Indian T20 team, which has not been up to the mark in the ongoing series against England. However, this is not something abnormal and can happen in international cricket. We consider it a temporary poor phase. Once the ODI series gets over on July 19 and the team returns, we will hold a review meeting with the core members of the team to discuss what went wrong in England. Since there is an ODI series, we are hopeful that the team will return to good form.”“The review meeting will be strictly about the performance of the team and how course correction can be carried out regarding the shortcomings. Nothing else will be discussed,” said Saikia.The next few weeks could be very interesting for Indian cricket because if the concerned coaches do not have a late change of heart, the setup could have a new look as early as the Test series against Sri Lanka. The timing could change, but it may take considerable conviction from the Indian cricket board and head coach Gambhir to retain the prominent name or names in the setup.Gambhir took charge of the team with the 2024 away series against Sri Lanka and handpicked members of the support staff, including Ryan ten Doeschate, Morne Morkel, and Abhishek Nayar. T Dilip retained his position as fielding coach, while Sitanshu Kotak was later added as batting coach before Nayar was relieved of his duties after India won the Champions Trophy in 2025.
