Who can rescue Indian football? Top contenders to take over as head coach
Meanwhile, there's a growing vibe shift. Fans are no longer just frustrated-they're checked out. The system's confusing, club football is in a limbo, and the national team's only headlines lately are about losses and coaching exits. With the ISL currently on pause and the roadmap uncertain, there's a growing feeling that Indian football is stuck in a holding pattern, waiting for clarity that never quite arrives.But even in this beautiful mess, one big decision looms: Who's next in charge?Whether it's a seasoned name from Indian football or an outside tactician with fresh ideas, this call could well define Vision 2047. That's why this next head coach appointment matters. Whether it's a seasoned ISL tactician or a complete curveball from overseas, this decision isn't just about the survival of Indian football, and here are some of our picks for the role:Khalid Jamil: The people's choice?There's something poetic about Khalid Jamil being back in the reckoning. The first Indian head coach to take an ISL team (NorthEast United, no less) to the semis, Jamil knows how to work with bare-bones budgets and high-pressure situations. He's got the no-nonsense personality, the tactical grit, and a proven track record in Indian football. More importantly, he's one of the few who hasn't lost touch with the I-League and the grassroots ecosystem-which, let's face it, is where the real talent pool still lives.But would the AIFF hand over the reins to an Indian coach at this crossroads moment? Historically, they haven't. But if they're serious about structure and sustainability, Jamil isn't the worst place to start.Antonio Lopez Habas: The redemption arcadvertisementHabas reportedly applied for the India head coach job before Manolo got the nod. He didn't make the cut, so what did he do? Instead, he joined a newly formed club-Inter Kashi-won the I-League, and walked them straight into ISL. That says a lot about his hunger. He's already got two ISL titles, understands the madness that is Indian football, and commands instant respect.With two ISL titles already under his belt and a deep understanding of Indian football's chaos-friendly ecosystem, Habas brings old-school discipline and tournament nous. He might not be the most exciting option, but he's a man who gets things done-and right now, that's a rare quality.Owen Coyle: Mr. Motivation, again?Owen Coyle was recently let go by Chennaiyin FC, but his record in Indian football remains hard to ignore. From turning a struggling Jamshedpur FC side into League Shield winners in 2022 to guiding Chennaiyin to two playoff appearances, Coyle has shown he can build competitive teams from scratch.He's got charisma, man-management skills, and a pretty solid rapport with Indian players. But the question remains: is he tactically dynamic enough to lead a national project? Or is he better suited for club football, where week-to-week motivation works better than four-year roadmaps?advertisementA new face: Because why not?Let's be honest-when Igor Stimac was appointed in 2019, not many Indian fans could place him beyond a Google search. Sure, it didn't exactly go according to plan. But that doesn't mean the idea of a relatively unknown but experienced international coach should be thrown out the window.With the right scouting, planning, and long-term backing (we know, that's asking for a lot), a left-field pick could shake things up in a good way. Someone with exposure to Asian or African national team ecosystems, who knows how to work with limited resources and build structured systems from scratch. It's a risk-but at this point, what isn't?The manager alone won't fix everything, but if chosen right, he might just become the stabilising force Indian football desperately needs.Or at the very least, someone who sticks around for more than six games.- Ends
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Indian Express
3 minutes ago
- Indian Express
How ‘Courageous Keeper' Rishabh Pant breached pain barrier, stood tall for his team
At lunch, almost half of the Indian team waited just outside the boundary rope to receive their hobbling teammate Rishabh Pant. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav took his helmet and bat, pacer Akash Deep the gloves, others were checking if he needed help to climb the dressing room stairs. Pant said no, walked gingerly, taking care not to put weight on his fractured right foot. After ten flights, at the landing, he stopped for a bit. That's when a young fan in the stands, waving a Tricolour, shouted, 'We love you, Rishabh.' Pant smiled, waved his hand and took ten more discomforting steps on the balcony where coach Gautam Gambhir and the team's most senior player Ravindra Jadeja gave him a hug. These seemed like scenes from a Bollywood sports biopic. Who writes Pant's scripts, Old Trafford wondered. Before lunch on Day 2, Pant had scored just two runs from seven balls. A day earlier, he had retired hurt on 37 in the final session. On Thursday, he eventually made 54 but fought for his team on one foot. He played 27 balls with a fractured toe. From an overnight 264 for four, India were eventually bowled out for 358. The dressing room knew the importance of Pant taking the field. If not for him, India wouldn't have reached this score, a challenging one on this difficult track. Less than 24 hours back, he was carted off the ground in a buggy after getting hit flush on the foot by a slower yorker from Chris Woakes. Scans on the toe showed it was a fracture. A BCCI press statement said Pant wouldn't keep wickets but 'would bat as per team requirement'. Struggling to reach 300 in the first innings, the team needed him. Through his innings, Pant looked in pain but didn't give up. He never has. Three years ago, he had met with a horrific car crash on the Delhi-Rourkee highway. When he was rescued from the mangled pile-up, injured beyond recognition, it was feared that he wouldn't survive. Pant too had said that he thought his 'time in this world was over'. His self-belief and incredibly high pain threshold would give him a 'second life', and also a second wind to his career. On this England Test tour, Pant has been the second highest run-scorer with two hundreds and has proved to be the batsman the rivals dread. Several times in this series, he has unsettled the opposition with his play. The team was aware of Pant's importance. In a late night meeting Thursday, the BCCI medical team said the wicket-keeper would need six weeks of rest. But could he just bat for this Test with the help of pain-killers, they were asked. 'He could, if need be,' was the answer. Pant didn't travel to the stadium this morning on the team bus. Around the time the big batting hope Jadeja was out, a car brought Pant to the ground. When the giant screen showed him in whites, a cheer rose around the stadium. And once he entered the field, the entire Old Trafford was on its feet. There was rhythmic, typically English, clapping as Pant took a while to walk to the central square. He frustrated the English bowlers by taking them on. They tried to bowl him short balls but that didn't bother Pant. After that, Stokes aimed at his injured leg and bowled a swinging yorker. The ball hit low on the pad, just above the fractured part of the foot. Pant clenched his teeth, shut his eyes and dragged his feet towards square leg. After the brief walk, he came back again to bat. Pain and Stokes go back a long way. But he wasn't going to get intimidated. Very soon, he hit a slower one from Jofra Archer out of the ground for a six and after that played an exquisite cover drive — easily the stroke of the morning. Stokes bowled a ball wide of the crease, thinking Pant wouldn't move his feet and struggle to middle it. Pant leaned into it and pushed it — the ball raced across the boundary line. On BBC's Test Match Special, they were remembering the 1984 Headingley Test where West Indian great Malcolm Marshall, playing with a double fracture, got seven wickets and batted bravely. Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta recalled watching from the dressing room, spin legend Anil Kumble bowl with a broken jaw during the 2002 tour of the West Indies. Pant at Old Trafford was joining the greats of the game who didn't allow pain to stop them from doing their bit for the team cause. The myth of the 'Courageous Keeper' grows.
Hans India
6 minutes ago
- Hans India
4th Test: These are moments you remember 50 years from now, says Manjrekar on Pant batting with injury
Manchester: Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar praised vice-captain Rishabh Pant's brave decision to walk out and bat despite a fractured right foot on day two of ongoing fourth Test against England, adding that this will be one of those moments which will be remembered by the cricketing world for 50 years. On Thursday, Pant, who retired hurt on the opening day of the fourth Test due to a fracture in the fifth metatarsal of his right foot, received a standing ovation as he hobbled out to the crease and went on to make a courageous 54 off 75 balls – his 18th fifty in the longer format. 'When we saw Rishabh Pant with Gautam Gambhir having a chat, he was in his whites — we thought maybe he might come out to bat at the end of the innings. Who would've thought he'd walk in after the fall of the very next wicket? He is injured, but don't rule out this guy.' 'If he's told one day that he can't move his feet, he's got such wonderful hand-eye coordination that he'll still be able to dominate. So England would be worried that Rishabh Pant is back, even though he looked clearly in pain. This is clearly Rishabh Pant's decision; he decided, 'I'm going to go out there'.' 'And when you do things like this — gestures like Anil Kumble bowling with his jaw strapped, those are moments in history you remember 50 years from now. It shows how keen he is to turn up for India. There's something about Test cricket, especially when it's being played in England.' 'Look at the amount of attention you get as a cricketer here. This is where he wants to give his best. If you wonder why he hasn't made the same impact in white-ball cricket, maybe this is why. Because Pant wants to leave a mark on Test cricket more than any other format,' said Manjrekar on JioHotstar. Apart from Pant's 54, B Sai Sudharsan and Yashasvi Jaiswal shined with 61 and 58 respectively, as India made 358 in their first innings. 'This is a story I'm going to take home with me forever. This Indian team is missing two senior batters, and there are no senior players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane and still they've batted nearly 750 overs in the series.' 'That's just incredible. With almost no experience, they've shown outstanding temperament and discipline. It speaks volumes about the hunger and maturity in this group,' concluded Manjrekar.
News18
15 minutes ago
- News18
Stokes takes five-wickets, Pant's plucky fifty pushes India to 358 all out
Manchester, Jul 24 (PTI) Rishabh Pant struck a courageous fifty on a broken foot while England captain Ben Stokes took his first five-wicket haul in eight years to restrict India to 358 in the afternoon session on day two of the fourth Test here on Thursday. In response, England raced to 77 for no loss in 14 overs at the tea break with Ben Duckett (43 batting off 41) collecting six boundaries on the off-side against a wayward Indian pace attack. Zak Crawley (33 batting off 44) too came up with some crisp hits in the unbeaten stand with Duckett. Debutant Anshul Kamboj could not strike in his two short spells while the seasoned Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj were also not at their best. The highlight of the session was Pant (54 off 75) making a plucky half-century despite struggling to walk in the middle. Pant sensationally smashed a slower ball from Jofra Archer for a six between midwicket and square-leg before driving Stokes from the crease for a boundary through cover for a memorable half-century, drawing a standing ovation from a packed stadium. When Archer finally found Pant's stumps with a peach, the significance of Pant's courageous knock was not lost even on the opposition with Joe Root patting the Indian for his valiant effort. In the morning session, Pant remarkably came out to bat with a fractured foot while Shardul Thakur showed plenty of resolve to take India to 321 for six at lunch. Resuming the day at 264 for four, India did well to cross the 300-run mark in overcast conditions that offered plenty of seam and swing to the England pacers especially Archer, who was effectively unplayable for majority of his opening spell. Stokes got the odd ball to jump from length, creating further challenges for the Indian batters. Considering the behaviour of the pitch, India would be content with a first innings score of 358. Chris Woakes took the new ball immediately but it was in following over from Archer that England got the early breakthrough. The in-form Ravindra Jadeja (20 off 40) could not do much off an Archer delivery that shaped away after landing on the leg-stump to take the outside edge, with Harry Brook holding on to a low catch at second slip. With the ball doing all sorts of tricks, Shardul Thakur (41 off 88) looked to attack and dispatched Woakes off the backfoot in the cover region for a fine boundary. Minutes later, Shardul creamed a full ball from Stokes through the cover a ball after getting a snorter from the England captain that almost kissed his glove. Stokes managed to get rid of Indian bowling all-rounder eventually by luring him into the drive and getting him caught at gully by Duckett, who pouched the flying ball. Much to the shock of everyone at the ground, Pant limped out to bat following Shardul's fall and a standing ovation followed. Despite the broken right foot, Pant made a courageous call to face the England pacers. He could barely complete his singles but the fact that he was in the centre said a lot about his grit and character. An early lunch was taken when light rain returned to Old Trafford in fading light. PTI BS DDV view comments First Published: July 24, 2025, 20:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
