The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has declared Gautam Gambhir as the new head coach of India’s men’s side, with the end of the tenure of Rahul Dravid after the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024, where the national team became the champions, after a wait of 17-years, since earning the title back in 2007.
Along with Gautam Gambhir, the board members, comprising Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjpe and Sulakshana Naik also took the interview of the former India women’s head coach WV Raman for the position, before appointing the former in the role.
The first charge for the left-handed batter would be in Sri Lanka where the team get involved in a three-match ODI and T20I series, starting from July 27, while the biggest challenge for him would be the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which for the moment is going to take place in Pakistan.
WV Raman congratulates Gautam Gambhir for head coach post
The former Tamil Nadu batter WV Raman served the role of India women’s head coach, starting in 2018. He was in consideration for the Men’s head coach too, before the board decided to go with Gambhir for the role.
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‘Congrats Gautam Gambhir and all the very best to you.’ WV Raman wrote on his ‘X’ handle, formerly known as Twitter.
The leadership skill and dedication towards the game, along with its results are quite huge for Gautam Gambhir, who led the Kolkata Knight Riders to two titles in the 2012 and 2014 seasons of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In the recently concluded season of the 20-over tournament too, he showed his incredible ability of mentorship by helping the purple franchise win their third title, to wait a decade-long wait.
The Indian cricket board has reported this remarkable contribution of Gautam Gambhir’s expertise, before pointing out the two match-winning knocks during the final of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2007 and the ODI World Cup 2011.
‘The former Indian opener brings with him a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the game.’ The BCCI media expressed. ‘Known for his exceptional batting prowess and strategic acumen, Gambhir has been a pivotal figure in Indian cricket.’
‘His remarkable contributions to the Indian team that include crucial performances in the 2007 ICC World T20 and the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, have cemented his legacy as one of the sport’s greats. Gambhir also led his IPL franchise, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to two title victories in 2012 and 2014. In his role as mentor with KKR in 2024, Gambhir helped the team secure its third IPL title.’
The BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla has also congratulated Gautam Gambhir for the head-coach role as he feels the illustrious career and the insights of the game always make the left-hander the perfect choice for the position.
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‘Heartiest congratulations to Gautam Gambhir on being appointed as the Head Coach of Team India. His illustrious career and profound cricketing insights make him a perfect fit for this role.’ The BCCI vice-president remarked. ‘We are excited about the positive impact he will bring to Indian cricket. Best wishes for a successful tenure.’
India have their first challenge to find a replacement for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja, three of the most experienced members of the side who have retired from the shortest format of the game for the side.
They also need to find replacements for some of the senior members of the red-ball side, as they look forward to the future to give more exposure to the young players.