Gautam Gambhir officially announced as new head coach of Team India
Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir is now the new head coach of Team India , taking over from Rahul Dravid on a three-year contract. Gambhir had recently led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title, and is now in charge of the national team across all formats.
Gambhir was among the few candidates who was approached and interviewed for the vacant role after Dravid announced his desire to move on after initially taking on the role in late 2021. VVS Laxman is currently in charge of the team for the tour of Zimbabwe while Gambhir is expected to take over ahead of the upcoming white-ball assignment against Sri Lanka.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah officially announced Gambhir's appointment with a post on Twitter on Tuesday, July 9. Reports had emerged earlier stating that the appointment of Gambhir was close to being sealed, with only a few details regarding compensation remaining to be resolved.
"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 career, I am confident that Gautam is the ideal person to steer Indian Cricket forward," Shah wrote on Twitter
"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 @BCCI fully supports him as he embarks on this new journey," he added
Gambhir is expected to have a major say in the team that will be picked for the Sri Lanka tour. The squad is touted to be announced next week by the selection committee.
Gautam Gambhir has tasted success in his limited time as coach
On paper, this marks Gambhir's first stint as head coach since he held the role of mentor in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He played a huge hand in LSG forging their first-ever squad at the 2022 IPL mega auction, and then proceeded to guide them to the playoffs for the first two seasons.
His initial success saw him being headhunted by KKR, who facilitated a return. Gambhir played a huge role for the franchise with whom he won two titles as captain, to guide them to their third title, this time beyond the ground.