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Gambhir reveals who appointed him as head coach [Source: AFP]
Gautam Gambhir was appointed India's head coach after a successful stint with KKR. Interestingly, before joining Team India, Gambhir had little to no coaching experience, but the Indian management took a bold call, and in a way, it helped them achieve success in white-ball cricket.
While his Test journey as head coach has been topsy-turvy, Gambhir has tasted massive success in ODIs and T20Is, helping India win the Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup 2026. During IPL 2024, the former Indian cricketer served as the mentor of KKR, playing a pivotal role in helping them win the title.
Gambhir reveals who appointed him as Team India head coach
Gambhir’s appointment as the head coach of India wasn’t a sudden call. It was a masterstroke from someone within the BCCI, and in a recent podcast interview with ANI, Gautam Gambhir revealed the name of ICC Chairman, Jay Shah, as the one who played a key role in him becoming the head coach.
It was during Jay Shah’s tenure as BCCI Secretary that he played the punt, and urged Gambhir to join the coaching staff.
"We were playing an IPL game in Mumbai, KKR versus Mumbai Indians and it was Jay Bhai (ICC Chairman Jay Shah) who called me...At that time, I wasn't even ready...When I was offered this job, I had no experience as a head coach, because I've never been a head coach of any team or any franchise. I was always the mentor, but trusting me with that job, I think I have been able to live up to his expectations and I can't thank him enough...He was the only person who called me during the low moments in my tenure," Gambhir said.
Also Read: Gautam Gambhir Demands BCCI For More Authority As T20 World Cup Triumph Reward
Gambhir's head coach journey in a nutshell
It has been a rocky ride for Gambhir as India’s head coach across formats. He has witnessed considerable highs and has also witnessed lows during his two-year period. His coaching journey can be described in two phases: brilliant in white-ball cricket, and dull in Tests.
In white-ball cricket (ODIs, and T20Is), Gambhir has won multiple trophies for India. He started by winning the Champions Trophy (2025) as India defeated New Zealand in the finals. It was followed by another successful tournament- the Asia Cup, as the Men in Blue beat arch-rivals Pakistan.
The icing on the cake was the recently concluded T20 World Cup, as India were the heavy favourites, and the team defended their crown by beating the Kiwis in a one-sided finale on Sunday to win the title for the third time.
However, in Tests, his coaching career has gone downhill. Under his guidance, India suffered not one, but two home series whitewashes (against New Zealand and South Africa), and after qualifying for the WTC finals in 2021 and 2023, India failed to do so in the 2025 edition.
Gambhir's upcoming assignment as India head coach
With the T20 World Cup over, IPL will kick-start on March 28, and afterwards, India will take on Afghanistan at home in June. This series will start Gambhir and India’s preparation for the ODI World Cup in 2027. The team will then travel to England for a white-ball series, and it will be followed by a gruelling Test series in Sri Lanka in August.
Gambhir’s biggest test will arrive when the team travels to New Zealand later this year for a Test series, and the current WTC cycle concludes with India taking on Australia at home in a five-match Test series.
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