Which Indian men’s head coach was the most successful in international cricket?

There have been numerous head coaches in Indian cricket who were formerly great players for the Men in Blue. World Cup winners Sandeep Patil, Madan Lal, and spin ace Bishann Singh Bedi have all had head coaching roles in Indian cricket.

The most recent addition to this list is Gautam Gambhir, the winner of the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2007 T20 World Cup. The left-handed player will succeed Rahul Dravid, whose contract ended following the 2024 T20 World Cup, which the Men in Blue won.

On July 9, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah announced the news, stating:

"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.”

Gautam Gambhir had a decent outing in international cricket. He scored more than 10,000 international runs, along with 20 centuries, to his name. However, he's not the only one who excelled in international cricket before taking over as head coach of the Indian squad.

We look at five (permanent) Indian men's head coaches who, before taking on the role, had notable international careers.

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#5 Chandu Borde

Former Indian player Chandu Borde made his debut against the West Indies on November 28, 1958. He played in 55 test matches throughout his 11-year career, amassing 3,061 runs at an average of 35.59.

He hit five centuries and 18 fifties during his career. In 1988, he also went on to become the coach of an Indian team that included the likes of Dilip Vengsarkar, Kapil Dev, and Ravi Shastri.

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#4 Ravi Shastri

The Indian all-rounder featured on the winning teams of the 1983 World Cup and the 1985 World Championship of Cricket. In 80 Tests, Shastri scored 3,830 runs. He also played in 150 ODIs, scoring more than 3,000 runs, with four centuries to his name.

The cricketer-turned-commentator also had more than 250 wickets to his name in international cricket.

From 2017 until 2021, Ravi Shastri coached the India men's team. Team India advanced to the World Test Championship final under Shastri. They also triumphed over Australia twice in the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia. The Men in Blue also reached the semi-final of the 2019 ODI World Cup under Shastri.

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#3 Anil Kumble

The right-arm leg-break bowler is the most successful in the history of Indian cricket. Kumble played in 132 Tests and has 619 wickets to his name, the fourth-highest in the history of test cricket. The former Indian player took 35 fifers and had eight 10-wicket halls in Test cricket.

In 1999, Kumble also became the second bowler to take all 10 wickets in an innings of a Test match against Pakistan. He also played in 271 ODIs and took 337 wickets.

Kumble coached the Men in Blue from 2016–2017. India defeated England and Australia in a home test series and also reached the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy under the former Indian spinner.

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#2 Kapil Dev

India won their first-ever World Cup under Kapil Dev in 1983. The greatest all-rounder in Indian cricket represented the nation in 131 Tests and 225 ODIs. He scored 5,248 runs in the longest format of the game at an average of 31 while scoring 3,500 runs in ODIs.

Kapil is still the pacer with the most wickets for India in Test cricket (434). He also has 235 wickets in ODIs. Kapil became the head coach of the Indian cricket team for ten months, from October 1999 to August 2000.

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#1 Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid is one of the greatest batters India has ever produced. “The Wall” of Indian cricket played 164 Tests and scored 13,288 runs at an average of 52.31; he also hit 36 centuries and five double-centuries. He scored 10,889 runs in 344 ODIs, smashing 83 fifties along with 12 centuries.

Dravid was the head coach of India from 2021–2024. Under him, Team India reached the finals of the 2023 World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup. Rahul helped the Men in Blue win the 2024 T20 World Cup, which was his last assignment, as he finished on a high.