Hurricane delays triumphant return as India set to name new coach

NEW DELHI: India will name their new coach after the World Cup-winning team makes its triumphant return from the Caribbean — but it is unclear when that will be because of a hurricane.

The frontrunner appears to be Gautam Gambhir, 42, a former batsman who scored over 10,000 international runs across three formats. He most recently coached Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL crown.

Indian media reported Monday the other man in the running to replace Rahul Dravid is W.V. Raman, 59, also an ex-Indian cricketer, and former coach of the national women’s team.

Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said the two candidates had been “interviewed and shortlisted” by the board’s Cricket Advisory Committee, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.

“After reaching Mumbai, whatever they have decided, we will go by that,” Shah said.

Shah spoke in Barbados, where he told Indian reporters the team were stranded because flights delayed by Hurricane Beryl.

“Like you we are also stuck,” he told reporters.

India won a thrilling final by seven runs against South Africa in Barbados on Saturday to clinch their first global tournament since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

The T20 World Cup final was the final match in charge for former skipper Dravid, 51, who was bounced in the air by the team during the celebrations.

Former batsman V.V.S. Laxman will coach the team for their tour of Zimbabwe for five T20 internationals from July 6-14, Shah said.

The new coach will take over for India’s tour of Sri Lanka, made up of three T20s and three ODIs, which begins on July 27.