Potential New Head Coaches For Indian Team If Shreyas Iyer Becomes Captain

Gautam Gambhir replacements for India T20I head coach job [Source: AFP]

In a significant development ahead of India’s return to international cricket for the first time since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph, the BCCI is set to make changes in India’s T20I leadership group moving forward. 

If the recent reports are to be believed, captain Suryakumar Yadav is all but gone from the T20I team for the foreseeable future.

According to the growing speculations, Shreyas Iyer is the frontrunner to replace the T20 World Cup-winning skipper in the team and as captain. 

Interestingly, as reported by Dainik Jagran, head coach Gautam Gambhir is against this appointment and wants World Cup hero Sanju Samson to take over the captaincy, but the BCCI wants Iyer as the successor.

This wouldn’t come as a surprise to many, considering the past shared by the Iyer and Gambhir duo at the Kolkata Knight Riders camp in 2024. 

It is not on the record, but it is widely believed that Iyer and his entourage were unhappy with Gambhir getting all the credit for KKR’s third IPL title over the captain.

So, as Iyer looks ready to take up the captaincy of the T20I team, we take a look at the head coaches who can replace Gautam Gambhir as T20I head coach if he steps down with Iyer’s appointment.

3 potential replacements for Gambhir if Shreyas Iyer becomes India's T20I captain

1. Ricky Ponting

If Gambhir is to be replaced upon Iyer’s appointment as captain, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting will be the number 1 name on the list who could take up the role as T20I head coach.

In IPL 2026, he has openly advocated for Iyer’s inclusion in the T20I team, given his performances and leadership over the past couple of years. Additionally, the duo has worked together at both Delhi Capitals and the Punjab Kings for a long time and share a good rapport.

Also Read: India's T20I Captains List

During his time as the IPL and MLC head coach, Ponting has 53 wins in 96 matches across his stints with DC, PBKS and Washington Freedom. He also won the MLC 2024 season with the Freedom.

2. Chandrakant Pandit

Chandrakant Pandit, the veteran domestic coach, is not a popular choice among fans and some players to take such a big role as India’s head coach due to his strict work ethic. He demands a bit of control over the players and tends to lose the dressing room.

Nonetheless, considering he has worked with Iyer during their IPL 2024 win and has also coached the Mumbai Ranji team, with Iyer as a team member, he could be part of these discussions to replace Gautam Gambhir.

Despite all the complaints regarding his attitude, Pandit is known to bring results, and it shows on his resume. He has won 22 of the 42 matches as the IPL coach and lost 18. He has also won the Ranji Trophy with underdogs like Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh.

3. Adam Voges

In a left-field move, India can think out of the box and rope in Adam Voges as their next T20I coach. The Western Australian, in his brief international career, averaged 61.87 for 1485 Test runs and 45.78 for 870 ODI runs, displaying his prowess as a top-level player.

Since retirement, he has taken the role of head coach of WA and Perth Scorchers in 2018. Captain Ashton Turner has credited him for being one of the best planners, helping the team win three titles so far. Western Australia’s High Performance General Manager, Kade Harvey, has also spoken highly of Voges’ tactical nous, and he holds the dressing room together.

Voges has also been pivotal in the development of talents like Josh Inglis, Cameron Green and Aaron Hardey, proving his ability to work with youngsters.

In five seasons with the Scorchers, he has been in charge of 65 matches and won 45, lost 19. His W/L ratio of 2.368 is currently among the best in the franchise T20 circuit. At just 46, he is well-tuned with the modern-day T20 demands, making him a top choice.

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