Gautam Gambhir appointed head coach of India men's cricket team
Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who served as a BJP MP from East Delhi from 2019 to 2024, has been appointed as the head coach of the Indian men's senior cricket team.
Just months before the 2024 elections, Gambhir announced his retirement from politics to focus on cricket coaching. He joined as the head coach of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders, leading them to lift the cup.
The news of his new appointment was announced by Jay Shah, son of India's Home Minister Amit Shah and the current BCCI chairman, who is rumored to be the next ICC chairman.
Gambhir will take over the role from Rahul Dravid, under whom India reached the final of the ICC World Test Championship and the 50-over World Cup in 2023, and won the T20 World Cup in 2024.
Despite lacking prior coaching experience of a national team, Gambhir has served as a mentor for multiple IPL teams, including Kolkata Knight Riders, who won the championship earlier this year.
"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 wrote on X.
Dravid stepped down from the role following India's victorious T20 World Cup campaign in the USA and West Indies last month.
Gambhir's first assignment as head coach will be the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka starting in late July.
Gambhir was a left-handed opening batsman who played domestic cricket for Delhi and captained Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
He made his One Day International (ODI) debut against Bangladesh in 2003 and played his first Test the following year against Australia.
He captained the Indian team in six ODIs from late 2010 to late 2011, with India winning all six matches.
He played an integral part in India's wins in the finals of both the 2007 World Twenty20 (75 runs from 54 balls) and the 2011 Cricket World Cup (97 from 122).
Gambhir captained Kolkata Knight Riders to IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 and mentored them to victory in 2024.
He is the only Indian and one of four international cricketers to have scored hundreds in five consecutive Test matches.
He is also the only Indian batsman to have scored more than 300 runs in four consecutive Test series.
In December 2018, Gambhir announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. In 2019, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and won election to the Lok Sabha from East Delhi. He served as the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL for the 2022 and 2023 seasons and was appointed as the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the 2024 season.
