Gautam Gambhir replaces Rahul Dravid as Team India’s new head coach

On Tuesday, India’s new head coach Gautam Gambhir formally took over from Rahul Dravid. Following his team’s victory in the T20 World Cup 2024—his last game as head coach of the Indian team—Dravid said goodbye to Rohit Sharma and company. The former Indian head coach had previously made it clear that he wouldn’t sign an extension following the just finished ICC competition in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup.

Last month, the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) conducted interviews with former India openers Gambhir and WV Raman for the role of head coach of the national side. World Cup champion Virat Kohli has emerged as the front-runner for the prominent position; he recently finished filming his farewell video for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season saw Kolkata win three titles under the guidance of the KKR coach.

BCCI secretary Jay Shah wrote a special remark for the two-time World Cup champion on X, formerly known as Twitter, confirming Gambhir’s presence in the Indian camp as head coach. The secretary of the BCCI declared that he believes Gambhir is the best person to lead Indian cricket into the future. “I am really happy to announce Mr. Gautam Gambhir as the new Indian Cricket Team head coach. Gautam has closely observed the fast changing scene of modern cricket, which has undergone significant evolution, Shah added.

“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,” the BCCI secretary added.

India will have a new head coach from the white-ball series against Sri Lanka this month, BCCI secretary Shah earlier revealed. “We’ll be announcing selection and coach positions soon. After conducting interviews and narrowing down the field to two people, CAC will make its final decision once it reaches Mumbai. VVS Laxman is leaving for Zimbabwe, but a new coach from the Sri Lankan series will be joining,” Shah said.

According to the most recent information, Gambhir has personally chosen a former Mumbai Indians (MI) player to serve as his assistant coach for Team India. Gambhir wants Abhishek Nayar of KKR to take over as India’s assistant coach once Dravid steps down, according to the Bengali publication Aajkaal. During his IPL 2024 return season, Nayar supported Gambhir at KKR. According to the source, Gambhir and Nayar have an oral arrangement for their upcoming assignment. In addition, Nayar oversees Knight Riders at the KKR Academy as its director.

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