Following months of speculation, Gautam Gambhir has been officially appointed as the Men’s Indian national cricket team’s head coach. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced this latest development on July 9.
Gambhir was shortlisted for a final interview with the BCCI team during the fag end of the 2024 T20 World Cup and came to a mutual agreement to serve as the head coach following Rahul Dravid’s departure. His first assignment with the Men in Blue will be against Sri Lanka, starting July 27. They will be playing three ODIs and as many T20Is.
The 42-year-old does not have coaching experience in the international circuit but serves as a mentor and consultant to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL. Under his mentorship, LSG made the playoffs twice, while KKR emerged as the champions in IPL 2024. 
The Delhi-bred star was also a part of the World Cup-winning campaigns in 2007 and 2011 and played important knocks in the respective finals. In his twelve years of illustrative career, the southpaw represented the national team in 58 Tests, 147 ODIs, and 37 T20Is.
“In his new role as Head Coach of Team India, Gambhir will be responsible for overseeing the development and performance of the Indian cricket team,” the BCCI said in a media release. “His focus will be on developing a culture of excellence, discipline, and teamwork while also nurturing young talent and preparing the team for future challenges on the global stage.”
The 2024 T20 World Cup was Dravid’s last assignment with the Men’s national team, and winning the silverware after eleven long years couldn’t be any better farewell. He was appointed in 2021 and coached the side during the T20 World Cup 2021, 22, World Test Championship 2023, and the World Cup 2023. India made to the finals twice and the semi-finals once during this tenure.
Shah praised the Karnataka stalwart and said, “I express my sincere thanks and gratitude to Mr Rahul Dravid, whose highly successful tenure as the Head Coach draws close. Under his guidance, Team India emerged as a dominant force across formats, including being crowned ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions!
“His strategic acumen, persistent efforts to nurture talent, and exemplary leadership have instilled a culture of excellence within the team, and that is also the legacy he leaves behind. The Indian dressing room today is one cohesive unit standing together through challenges while reveling in each other’s success.”
With Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retired from T20I internationals, an exciting time under the stewardship of Gambhir awaits for team India.
