Gautam Gambhir allowed himself a grin once Venkatesh Iyer hit the winning run at the Chepauk on Sunday before being mobbed by the players and support staff.
The Kolkata Knight Riders mentor on his return to the franchise had helped them clinch their third IPL title ending a 10-year-long wait.
But it was his impromptu meeting with Board secretary Jay Shah at the ground which has sparked speculation over his appointment as the next Team India head coach.
Shah is learnt to have spoken to Gambhir for “quite some time” after taking him aside before the trophy presentation. There was, however, no confirmation about what transpired during their one-on-one conversation.
Monday was the last date for applying for the post. The Board, however, has kept its door open for Gambhir and efforts are on to convince him to take up the role.
The new coach will take charge in July and his term will end on December 31, 2027. The BCCI is keen on having one coach for all three formats.
Rahul Dravid has already made it clear to the Board that he wouldn’t continue beyond the forthcoming T20 World Cup in the US and the West Indies.
Sources told The Telegraph that Gambhir has sought an assurance from the BCCI on his appointment and doesn’t wish to go through the process and then get into a situation where he is not considered after applying.
Virender Sehwag had faced a similar situation when Ravi Shastri returned as head coach in 2017. The Sourav Ganguly-led Cricket Advisory Committee had dumped Sehwag at the last minute after the former India captain had gone through the round of interviews and presentations.
Gambhir is learnt to have not told KKR anything about his not continuing as mentor till late on Monday.
Shah had recently said that the Board was interested in having an Indian in the coveted post since “it’s crucial that our coach has an in-depth knowledge of our domestic cricket framework to truly elevate Team India to the next level.”
While Gambhir has shown interest in the Team India job, KKR’s principal owner, Shah Rukh Khan, is unwilling to let him go.
An influential member of the Board had sounded out VVS Laxman earlier this month but the National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief wasn’t keen on taking up the job.