New Delhi: BCCI honorary secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday announced Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team after Rahul Dravid’s retirement.
In a post on X handle, Shah said, “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,” Shah added.
Gambhir takes over as head coach from Dravid, who stepped down from the role after India’s T20 World Cup win. Having taken over as team mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of IPL 2024, Gambhir was hailed for guiding the franchise to the title, having already captained KKR to two league titles during his playing days.
As per reports, the Indian board will soon invite applications for the team’s support staff as the tenures of batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey and fielding coach T Dilip ended after the T20 World Cup in the USA and the West Indies.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah had already stated that the new coach – Gambhir – will join the Indian team from the Sri Lanka series.
It is not clear whether the Indian team will have a batting coach going ahead, as Gambhir himself has been a successful opening batsman across formats. He was Kolkata Knight Riders mentor in their 2024 title-winning IPL season.