Nearly two years after his previous stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he guided Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the 2024 championship as a mentor, Gautam Gambhir has been presented with an opportunity to make a return to the IPL circuit.
A report from Dainik Jagran reveals that one of the new owners of the Rajasthan Royals has extended a tempting triple-role offer to Team India’s head coach Gambhir.
One of the three fresh stakeholders of the Rajasthan Royals has put forward a proposal to Gambhir, offering a multi-faceted role as “partner, mentor, and CEO.”
“A significant portion of Rajasthan Royals‘ shareholders are in the process of selling their stakes to the new owners. The deal is presently in a transferable phase. One of the new owners in RR’s management has extended an offer to Gambhir, including a two-to-three percent stake, along with the roles of CEO and mentor,” the report stated.
However, Gambhir is unable to accept the offer as he is still serving as the head coach of the Indian team. A ruling from the Supreme Court, following the Lodha Committee’s guidelines, prohibits a person from holding both an IPL franchise role and a position with the Indian team, citing a potential conflict of interest.
Gambhir can’t accept the proposal from Rajasthan as it would require him to resign from the role of head coach of India. While sources close to the former Indian cricketer chose not to comment, they suggested that he is fully focused on his ongoing responsibilities. His tenure as India’s head coach, though, will conclude following the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
Since hanging up his boots, Gambhir has worked two IPL franchises. He mentored the Lucknow Super Giants from 2022 to 2023, leading them to the playoffs in both years. In 2024, he moved to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a similar capacity before stepping into the role of India’s head coach, succeeding Rahul Dravid in July 2024.
Gambhir is currently in charge of India’s T20 World Cup campaign on home soil. The defending champions have been flawless so far, winning all three group-stage fixtures against the USA, Namibia, and Pakistan to secure a spot in the Super 8s.