Gautam Gambhir has been officially named as India's new head coach, BCCI secretary Jay Shah confirmed in a social media post on Tuesday. Gambhir replaces outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid in the post.
"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," Jay Shah confirmed on social media.
"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," he added.
Gambhir was touted to take over the role from Dravid ever since the latter expressed his unwillingness to apply for another term. He was reportedly among the only two applicants alongside WV Raman for the post. Gambhir was interviewed for the job last month by BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee.
This will be Gambhir's first assignment as head coach of a national team. He has earlier been associated with Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders as a mentor of the two sides in IPL.
Gambhir will be in charge of the Indian team for 3.5 years, starting from July 1st, 2024 till December 31st, 2027. He will have several crucial ICC tournaments lined up including the 2025 Champions Trophy, the 2026 T20 World Cup, and the 2027 ODI World Cup alongside the two World Test Championship finals (if India reach there). BCCI had invited applications for the head coach's role in May.
BCCI also issued a statement on Gambhir's appointment. The Board confirmed that Gambhir will join the team from the Sri Lanka series onwards later in July. The Board also thanked the rest of the coaching staff alongside Rahul Dravid for their service to the team. "The Cricket Advisory Committee comprising Mr Ashok Malhotra, Mr Jatin Paranjpe and Ms Sulakshana Naik on Tuesday unanimously recommended Mr Gautam Gambhir as the Head Coach of Team India (Senior Men). The former India batter will take charge from the upcoming away series against Sri Lanka where Team India are set to play 3 ODIs & 3 T20Is starting July 27, 2024," BCCI wrote in a statement.
Jay Shah thanks Rahul Dravid for his work
Notably, the BCCI secretary also thanked the outgoing coach Rahul Dravid for his work and effort with the Indian team. Under Dravid, India became the T20 World Champions after a gap of 17 years. "I express my sincere thanks and gratitude to Mr Rahul Dravid whose highly successful tenure as the Head Coach draws to a close. Under his guidance, #TeamIndia 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 has instilled a culture of excellence within the team and that is also the legacy his leaves behind. The Indian dressing room today is one cohesive unit standing together through challenges while revelling in each other’s success," Shah wrote in a previous post on X.
