Gautam Gambhir Becomes India’s New Head Coach, Replaces Rahul Dravid

Gautam Gambhir has officially taken over from Rahul Dravid as Team India's new head coach, as confirmed by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday.

New Delhi: Gautam Gambhir has officially taken over from Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach, effective Tuesday. Dravid bid farewell to Rohit Sharma and the team after leading them to victory in the T20 World Cup 2024, his final assignment as head coach. Leading up to the T20 World Cup, Dravid had already announced that he would not be renewing his contract after the ICC event.

Former India openers Gautam Gambhir and WV Raman were interviewed by BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) last month for the national team’s head coach position. Emerging as the frontrunner for this high-profile role, World Cup winner Gambhir recently filmed his farewell video for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). As KKR’s mentor, Gambhir masterminded their third title triumph in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Confirming Gambhir’s arrival at the Indian camp as head coach, BCCI secretary Jay Shah penned a special note for the two-time World Cup winner on X, formerly known as Twitter. The BCC secretary asserted that he is confident that Gambhir is the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward. “It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr @GautamGambhir 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,” Shah said.

“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 #TeamIndia, coupled with his vast experience, positions him perfectly to take on this exciting and most sought-after coaching role. The @BCC fully supports him as he embarks on this new journey,” the BCCI secretary added.

It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr @GautamGambhir 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… pic.twitter.com/bvXyP47kqJ

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) July 9, 2024

Gambhir also took to X to react to his appointment for the first time. “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!

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… pic.twitter.com/N5YyyrhXAI

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) July 9, 2024

Gautam Gambhir opened up on being appointed as the head coach of Indian cricket team. “It is an absolute honour to serve my tricolour, my people, my country. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Rahul Dravid and his team of support staff for their exemplary run with the team. I am honoured and excited to take on the role of Head Coach for Team India,” Said Gambhir.

“I have always taken pride while donning the Indian jersey during my playing days and it is going to be no different when I take up this new role. Cricket has been my passion and I look forward to working closely with the BCCI, Head of Cricket – Mr VVS Laxman, the support staff, and, most importantly, the players, as we work towards achieving success in the upcoming tournaments,” he added.

Earlier, BCCI secretary Shah confirmed that India will have a new head coach from the white-ball series against Sri Lanka this month. “Both coach and selector appointments will be made shortly. CAC has interviewed and shortlisted two names and after reaching Mumbai whatever they have decided we will go by that. VVS Laxman is going to Zimbabwe but new coach will join from Sri Lanka series,” Shah mentioned.

In a recent development, Gautam Gambhir has selected a former Mumbai Indians (MI) star as his assistant coach for Team India. According to the Bengali newspaper Aajkaal, Gambhir wants KKR’s Abhishek Nayar to join as India’s assistant coach if he succeeds Rahul Dravid. Nayar assisted Gambhir at KKR during their triumphant IPL 2024 season. Reports suggest that Gambhir and Nayar have a verbal agreement for their next stint together. Nayar also serves as the director of Knight Riders at the KKR Academy.

This marks Gautam Gambhir’s first stint as a head coach in the international arena. Interestingly, Gambhir had not gained extensive coaching experience before landing the prestigious role with Team India. The two-time World Cup winner served as KKR’s mentor during the 2024 IPL season. Gambhir parted ways with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to join KKR last season. At 42, Gambhir’s illustrious playing career includes 58 Tests, 147 One Day Internationals (ODIs), and 37 T20Is for India. The iconic two-time IPL-winning captain also represented Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders.