Almost two years after his last Indian Premier League (IPL) stint, where he mentored Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the 2024 title before taking over as head coach of the senior men’s Indian team, Gautam Gambhir has reportedly been offered a route back to the IPL.
According to a report in Dainik Jagran, Gambhir has been proposed not one, but a sweeping triple role by one of the new owners of the Rajasthan Royals.
The report states that one of the three new stakeholders in the Rajasthan franchise sent Gambhir a proposal offering him the role of “partner, mentor and CEO.”
“A majority of Rajasthan Royals shareholders are selling their stake to the new owners. The deal is currently in a transferable state. One of the owners in RR’s new management has offered Gambhir a two-to-three per cent stake, in addition to the roles of CEO and mentor,” the report said.
However, Gambhir cannot accept the offer as long as he remains head coach of the Indian team. A Supreme Court ruling, based on the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, bars an individual from simultaneously holding a position with an IPL franchise and the Indian team, citing conflict of interest.
If Gambhir were to accept Rajasthan’s proposal, he would have to step down as India head coach. Sources close to the former India batter declined to comment but indicated that he remains committed to his current role. His contract, however, as the India head coach will end after the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
Since retiring as a player, Gambhir has been associated with two IPL franchises. He served as mentor of the Lucknow Super Giants from 2022 to 2023, guiding them to the playoffs in both seasons. He then joined KKR in a similar role for the 2024 campaign before replacing Rahul Dravid as India head coach in July 2024.
Gambhir is currently overseeing India’s T20 World Cup campaign at home. The defending champions have won all three of their group-stage matches, against the USA, Namibia and Pakistan, to qualify for the Super 8s. They still have one group game remaining, against the Netherlands later this week.
