New Coach to Lead India Across All Formats for Three and a Half Years
Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team, succeeding Rahul Dravid, who oversaw India’s triumphant T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. BCCI secretary Jay Shah announced Gambhir’s selection via X (formerly Twitter).
Gambhir, a former India opener and two-time World Cup winner, expressed his honor at the opportunity to serve the nation in a different capacity. “India is my identity, and serving my country has been the greatest privilege of my life,” he said. “I’m honored 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 42-year-old’s first assignment will be a white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, comprising three ODIs and three T20Is, later this month. The BCCI is yet to confirm whether the existing assistant coaches – Vikram Rathour (batting), Paras Mhambrey (bowling), and T Dilip (fielding) – will continue in their roles.
Gambhir, who has previously served as a mentor for Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, takes over a team riding a wave of immense success. They reached the finals of both the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup last year before becoming T20 World Champions, and they are on course to reach their third successive WTC final next year.
“India is my identity, and serving my country has been the greatest privilege of my life. I’m honored to be back, albeit wearing a different hat. But my goal is the same as it has always been, to make every Indian proud.”
However, the team is in the midst of a transition, with the retirements of several senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja from the T20I format. Gambhir’s leadership will be crucial in guiding the next generation of Indian cricketers to continued success across all three formats.
The BCCI had earlier announced that the new head coach would be appointed for a term of three-and-a-half years until December 2027, overseeing the team in all formats. Gambhir’s appointment comes after the board held discussions with him during IPL 2024, where he was the mentor for Kolkata Knight Riders’ title-winning campaign.
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