Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday was appointed the new head coach of the Indian cricket team by the BCCI, secretary Jay Shah announced.
Gambhir will take over the high-profile job from another legend in Rahul Dravid, who ended his extended tenure as the head coach after India's title triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados last month.
Gambhir, who mentored the Kolkata Knight Riders to victory in IPL 2024 after returning to the franchise this year, will start his new job on the tour of Sri Lanka where the Men in Blue will play 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs from July 27 to August 7.
"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.
"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," BCCI secretary Jay Shah tweeted.
This will be Gambhir's maiden stint as a head coach of an international team. He had mentored the Lucknow Super Giants for 2 seasons in the IPL before returning to KKR for 2024. But he had to quit the job just days after winning the IPL 2024 title as he wanted to apply for the Indian coaching job. The former BJP MP won 3 IPL titles with KKR, 2 as captain in 2012 & 2014 and one as the mentor this year.
It is being reported that Dravid has been approached by KKR to bring him on board as the direct replacement for Gambhir. Some of the other IPL franchises also have Dravid on their radars ahead of the 2025 season.
