NEW DELHI: India’s cricket board named Gautam Gambhir as head coach on Tuesday, with the ex-opener taking over from Rahul Dravid, tasked with building on their recent T20 World Cup triumph.

Gambhir said it was “an absolute honour” to take India’s top cricketing job.

“I have always taken pride while donning the Indian jersey during my playing days, and it is going to be no different when I take up this new role,” Gambhir said.

Gambhir, 42, takes over from batting great Dravid, who finished his stint with the T20 World Cup title in Barbados last month.

Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) called Gambhir a “fierce competitor and a brilliant strategist”, and said he had been “unanimously” chosen to be the head coach.

Gambhir scored over 10,000 international runs during his 13-year-long inter­national career for India since his ODI debut in 2003.

“We believe he will bring the same tenacity and leadership to his role as head coach,” Shah said, adding Gambhir “will bring out the best in our players”.

He is the only Indian, and one of four international cricketers including Don Bradman, Jacques Kallis and Mohammad Yousuf, to have scored tons in five successive Test matches.

“Modern-day cricket has evolved rapidly, and Gautam has witnessed this changing landscape up close,” Shah added.

Gambhir, a talented left-handed batsman who played a key part in India’s ODI World Cup win in 2011, recently coached Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL crown.

“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,” Shah said.

“His clear vision for Team India, coupled with his vast experience, positions him perfectly to take on this exciting role.”

Gambhir takes over a team with heightened expectations after their T20 triumph, their fourth World Cup title and first major crown since the 2013 Champions Trophy.

BCCI president Roger Binny said Gambhir’s appointment marks a “new chapter for Indian cricket”, praising his “experience, dedication, and vision for the game”.

India’s ODI tour of Sri Lanka in July will be Gambhir’s first assignment as Indian coach.

Shah also offered his “sincere thanks and gratitude” to Dravid, ending his coaching career on a high.

“Under his guidance, Team India emerged as a dominant force across formats, including being crowned T20 World Cup champions,” Shah said. “His strategic acumen, persistent efforts to nurture talent and exemplary leadership have instilled a culture of excellence within the team and that is also the legacy he leaves behind.”

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2024