Mumbai: Former India opener and mentor of IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the head coach of the India Men’s senior team. The announcement was made by BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday. Gambhir will succeed Rahul Dravid, who led India to the final of the ICC World Test Championship and the 50-over World Cup in 2023, and also guided the team to victory in the T20 World Cup in 2024.
While Gambhir lacks prior coaching experience, he brings valuable mentorship experience from his tenure with multiple IPL teams, including the Kolkata Knight Riders, who clinched the championship earlier this year.
“It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr. Gautam Gambhir as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Modern-day cricket has evolved rapidly, and Gautam has witnessed this changing landscape up close. Having endured the grind and excelled in various roles throughout his career, I am confident that Gautam is the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward. His clear vision for Team India, coupled with his vast experience, positions him perfectly to take on this exciting and most sought-after coaching role. The BCCI fully supports him as he embarks on this new journey,” said Jay Shah, honorary secretary of BCCI.
Rahul Dravid stepped down from his role following India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in the USA and West Indies last month.
Expressing his excitement and honor at the appointment, Gambhir shared his sentiments on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “India is my identity and serving my country has been the greatest privilege of my life. I’m honoured to be back, albeit wearing a different hat. But my goal is the same as it has always been, to make every Indian proud. The men in blue shoulder the dreams of 1.4 billion Indians and I will do everything in my power to make these dreams come true!”
Gambhir’s first assignment as the head coach of the Indian cricket team will be the white-ball series against Sri Lanka, beginning on July 27.