With the BCCI on the hunt for a new head coach, reports have linked Gautam Gambhir to the job. Under Gambhir's mentorship, the Kolkata Knight Riders enjoyed a strong IPL season, capping it off with their third IPL trophy.
While many believe Gambhir is the frontrunner, Virat Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has a different name in mind.
Speaking during India News' programme Cricit Predicta, the Dronacharya Award-winning coach picked the legendary Mahendra Singh Dhoni as an ideal fit for the top job.
'If Mahendra Singh Dhoni announces retirement, he can prove to be a good option. He has played a lot of cricket and has won big tournaments,' Sharma said.
'Dhoni will have more respect in the dressing room. Being able to plan for the team and manage it properly is most needed in the team because when Dhoni became 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 pointed out.
Current India Coach Rahul Dravid's contract ends after the T20 World Cup.
Dhoni has't announced his retirement from IPL. While many believe this season was his last, true to his nature, the former Indian skipper has kept everyone guessing about his plans.
While Sharma thinks Dhoni is a good fit for the job, former India fast bowler Atul Wasan had a different take.
'The role of a coach should be removed in T20 cricket, a mentor should be kept in its place, a format expert should be kept,' Wasan said.
'According to me, the work of a coach is limited to taking the team from the field to the hotel,' Wasan added.
'I will not give the coach responsibility for the team's loss and also the credit for the team's win,' Wasan said. 'Just as in football, there are managers, not coaches. Similarly, in cricket too, instead of a coach, there should be a manager who manages the team.'
