Gautam Gambhir Replaces Rahul Dravid As Indian Cricket Team's Head Coach

"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," Jay Shah wrote on his social media handle X. 

The much-awaited, anticipated finally broke out as Gambhir, 42, will succeed Rahul Dravid after his tenure ended with India’s historic T20 World Cup triumph.

Gambhir will take over the reins with the team riding high on momentum. India have been super consistent having reached the finals of both the World Test Championship as well as the ODI World Cup, before finally crossing the finish line in Barbados, being crowned T20 World Champions. 

The T20I side, however, will see a transitional phase with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja all retiring from the format. 

BCCI had earlier informed that the new coach would be unveiled in July for a three and a half years, with the contract running till December 2027 - taking charge of all three formats. 

While the BCCI had advertised for the coaching role, and had also set a deadline for applications as May 27, the board had started discussions with Gambhir during the Indian Premier League 2024. 

However, coaching resume does not display a lot of previous coaching experience.

He was the mentor for Kolkata Knight Riders, who won their first title in a decade. He also played pivotal roles in guiding Lucknow Super Giants to the playoffs in both 2022 and 2023 seasons.

As a player, he was a part of the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup winning teams. The 42-year-old has also captained KKR to two titles in 2012 and 2014.