“I’m honored to be back, albeit wearing a different hat” – Gautam Gambhir reacts after being officially announced as Team India’s new head coach

Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir expressed his gratitude after being officially announced as Team India’s new head coach on Tuesday, July 9. Gambhir said he is proud to represent the country again in a different role. The two-time World Cup-winning player added he would try his best to fulfill the dreams of 1.4 billion Indians.

Gambhir will have to fill the big shoes of Rahul Dravid, whose tenure as India's head coach ended after he guided the Men in Blue to the 2024 T20 World Cup. Dravid also helped India reach the finals of the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup last year.

Gambhir, too, recently mentored reigning Indian Premier League (IPL) champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He resigned from his post after just one season to work with Team India. Besides the Knight Riders, Gambhir has also mentored the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL.

On his appointment, Gautam Gambhir shared a picture of the Indian flag on X. The 42-year-old wrote:

“India is my identity and serving my country has been the greatest privilege of my life. I’m honoured to be back, albeit wearing a different hat. But my goal is the same as it has always been, to make every Indian proud. The men in blue shoulder the dreams of 1.4 billion Indians and I will do everything in my power to make these dreams come true!”

On the personal front, Gautam Gambhir has represented India in 58 Tests, 147 ODIs, and 37 T20Is, scoring 10,324 runs with the help of 20 centuries and 63 fifties. The southpaw was India’s highest run-scorer in the finals of the 2007 T20 World Cup (75 runs) and the 2011 ODI World Cup (91). Gambhir has also amassed 6402 runs in 251 T20s. As a captain, he has led KKR to two IPL trophies in 2012 and 2014.

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“I am confident that Gautam is the ideal person to steer Indian cricket forward” – BCCI Secretary Jay Shah welcomes Gautam Gambhir as new head coach

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah announced that Gautam Gambhir will serve as India’s new head coach minutes before Gambhir’s post on the micro-blogging platform. Shah wrote on X:

“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,” he added.

Gautam Gambhir is likely to join Team India ahead of their Sri Lanka tour for three T20Is and as many ODIs later this month. VVS Laxman, the NCA head, is currently acting as India's coach for the ongoing India tour of Zimbabwe.