Jay Shah

Virat Kohli’s childhood coach suggests MS Dhoni for India’s head coach role; Gautam Gambhir remains the front-runner | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI: With the deadline to apply for the Indian men’s cricket team’s head coach role ending on May 27, speculation is rife about who will replace Rahul Dravid. BCCI secretary Jay Shah hinted that the new head coach is likely to be an Indian, with reports suggesting Gautam Gambhir as the top contender. However, Virat Kohli‘s childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, has floated the idea of MS Dhoni taking up the role.Speaking to India News, the Dronacharya awardee coach expressed his views on Dhoni being an ideal candidate. “First of all, it will be interesting to see which names apply for this post. I would like that whoever becomes the coach should be an Indian. If Mahendra Singh Dhoni announces retirement, he can prove to be a good option. He (Dhoni) has played a lot of cricket and has won big tournaments,” Sharma said.While Dhoni has not officially announced his retirement from the IPL, his future remains uncertain. The IPL 2024 was speculated to be his final season, but the Chennai Super Kings legend has kept everyone guessing. CSK CEO Kasi Viswanath even stated that he expects Dhoni to return for another season.Sharma emphasized Dhoni’s potential impact as a coach, citing his experience and respect within the team. “Dhoni will have more respect in the dressing room and he has played this format for a long time. Being able to plan for the team and manage it properly is most needed in the team because when Dhoni became the captain, there were big players in that team like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Gautam Gambhir, and Yuvraj Singh. Despite this, Dhoni handled the team brilliantly,” Sharma added.Dhoni previously worked with the Indian team as a mentor during the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, showcasing his potential as a guiding figure for the team. As Dravid’s contract ends this year after the T20 World Cup, the appointment of his successor is highly anticipated.Gambhir, who recently mentored Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title, is seen as a strong candidate for the head coach position. His success with KKR and experience as a former India player make him a compelling choice.

Jay Shah explains Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer’s BCCI contracts exit: I am just a convener

Danijones6 months ago05 mins

The BCCI secretary Jay Shah said the omission of Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer from the list of centrally-contracted players was completely decided by chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar. Kishan and Iyer were left out after failing to attend domestic engagements despite a BCCI mandate. While Kishan took a long sabbatical after the ODI World Cup last year and was unavailable until the IPL, Iyer did play a few Ranji Trophy matches for Mumbai, including the semifinals and final. However, Iyer found himself on the receiving end after it was revealed that he had attended a KKR camp in Mumbai while his home team was playing a Ranji Trophy match. “You can check the constitution. I am just a convener (of the selection meeting),” he said during a media interaction at the BCCI head office on Thursday. “That decision lies with Ajit Agarkar, even when these two players (Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer) who did not play domestic (cricket), the decision to drop them (from the central contracts list) was only his. My role is just to implement. And we have got new players (in place), like Sanju (Samson). Nobody is indispensable,” he added. In the days leading up to the contract snub, Jay Shah stated before the third Test between India and England in February this year that he would fully support the chief selector’s decision to take action against players who do not meet the Indian captain and team management’s requirements for participation in domestic cricket. Shah claimed he communicated with the players following their removal. “Yes, I had spoken with them. Media had even carried the reports,” he said. “Even Hardik (Pandya) said if BCCI is considering me for white-ball, then I am ready to play Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Any player will have to play, even if they do not want to, they will have to,” Jay Shah continued. When asked about high scores in this year’s IPL, Shah stated that it all boils down to who is playing well and who can sustain performance. ” Whoever plays well in the IPL… like say Ishan Kishan, he finds it difficult to take part with the Indian team but he can play in Mumbai Indians as a player. There he can play in a relaxed manner. In Team India, you have to prove yourself, give back to back performances. The one who can handle that can be described as a right player,” he added. Shah also revealed details of his conversation with Kishan, which took place after Mumbai Indians’ match against Gujarat. “No, I did not advise him anything. It was just a friendly talk that he should do well and I speak with all players like that,” he said. Published By: Saurabh Kumar Published On: May 10, 2024