Who is the new head coach of Indian men's cricket team?
One of the best chapters in Indian cricketing history closed when Rahul Dravid finished his tenure as head coach with the side's 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. The former captain took over as Indian head coach in November 2021 and helped the side dominate across formats.
However, with his departure, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed former batter Gautam Gambhir as the next head coach on a three-year contract on July 9. Gambhir was pivotal to India's 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup triumphs.
He also had several incredible moments as a leader in the IPL, captaining the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to titles in 2012 and 2014. Gambhir then returned to the franchise for the 2024 IPL season as a mentor and the move immediately paid dividends.
KKR won their third IPL title in the 2024 edition by finishing atop the points table before dispatching thSunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the finale.
Gambhir's first assignment as India's head coach will start with the Sri Lankan tour, starting July 27. The Men in Blue will play three T20Is and as many ODIs from July 27 to August 7.
"India is my identity and serving my country has been the greatest privilege of my life" - Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir expressed his delight at being appointed head coach of the Indian Men's team through his Twitter handle.
The move has been hailed by several former cricketers, including Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis, Andy Flower, and Abhinav Mukund, among others.
Following his appointment, Gambhir wrote on his Twitter handle:
"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!"
Gambhir had an outstanding playing career for India, scoring 10,000 runs across formats with 20 centuries and 63 half-centuries.
He was also the ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year award for 2009 when he averaged over 90 in Tests for India.