Gautam Gambhir is in the middle of a T20 World Cup campaign, India are unbeaten, and yet the biggest conversation around him is not about tactics or team combinations. Fascinatingly, it is about whether he could walk away from the India job.
In what could become one of the biggest off-field stories of the season, Gambhir has reportedly been offered a sweeping return to the IPL by Rajasthan Royals. Not just as a mentor. Not just as an advisor. But as a partner, CEO and mentor rolled into one. It is as lucrative an offer as any individual can get. It gives him equity too.
According to Dainik Jagran, one of the new stakeholders set to enter the Royals’ ownership structure has proposed a 2–3 per cent stake to Gambhir, along with operational authority. Just recently, Rajasthan named Riyan Parag as their new captain ahead of IPL 2026.
“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. That is not a casual offer. That is an invitation to shape a franchise from the inside out and it would give Gambhir power to basically take every decision on his own.
Can Gambhir take RR role and quit India job?
But here is the catch. Gambhir cannot even consider the proposal while he remains India’s head coach. Under the Supreme Court ruling based on the Lodha Committee reforms, no individual can simultaneously hold a position with the Indian team and an IPL franchise in a role that creates a conflict of interest. If Gambhir says yes to Rajasthan, he must resign from Team India.
And that is where this becomes serious and almost impossible for RR to get hold of the two-time World Cup champion. Gambhir’s contract runs till the 2027 ODI World Cup. Beyond that, there is even talk that he wants to guide India into the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics, where cricket will return after more than a century.
Gambhir is an individual who wears his heart on his sleeve, and he would love to win a medal for his nation at the Olympics too. Walking away now would mean leaving an unfinished project, something that is uncharacteristic of him.
His IPL legacy is unquestioned. Two titles as KKR captain. One as a mentor (of KKR). Playoff runs with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). He knows the ecosystem. He commands dressing rooms. But the India job is a different pedestal. At present, he is focused on India’s T20 World Cup campaign, where the team has already qualified for the Super 8. Winning a T20 World Cup at home would be a big moment for Gambhir, who also eyes ending India’s 50-over World Cup drought.
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