Gautam Gambhir gestures during an event in Kolkata. File/ AFP

Gautam Gambhir’s name has been a constant in all conversations surrounding the next coach of the Indian men’s national cricket team. The secretary of the BCCI, Jay Shah finally put the speculations to rest as he announced the appointment of the World Cup winner as the new man to lead the side forward.

“Many thanks for your extremely kind words and constant support @JayShah bhai. Elated to be a part of this journey! The entire team together will strive for excellence and newer heights,” replied the newly appointed head coach.

The BCCI had previously announced that the next head coach will be handed the reins of the team till the 2027 period, a cycle which will include the 2025 Champions Trophy, 2026 T20 World Cup, 2027 ODI World Cup, and the 2025 and 2027 World Test Championship cycles.

Gambhir’s name for the post of head coach came up after the 2024 Indian Premier League season when he mentored the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third title.

“It is with immense pleasure that I welcome @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,” read the announcement posted by Jay Shah.

Meanwhile, Shah has sent a farewell message to former India Head Coach Rahul Dravid, thanking the former India captain for a highly successful tenure with the Men in Blue, which included guiding the Rohit Sharma-led team to victory in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados.

Soon after thanking Dravid for his successful stint, Shah announced that Gautam Gambhir had been appointed the new head coach of the Indian cricket team.

Before the appointment of the future coach, Shah took the time to acknowledge the past and thanked the outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid via a message posted from his account.

“I express my sincere thanks and gratitude to Mr. Rahul Dravid whose highly successful tenure as the Head Coach draws to a close. Under his guidance, #TeamIndia emerged as a dominant force across formats, including being crowned ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions,” read the post by Jay Shah on X, formerly Twitter.

The former India skipper has been at the helm of the ‘Men in Blue’ for three years and led the team to the T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, the finals of the 2023 ODI World Cup, and the World Test Championship 2023.

“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. The Indian dressing room today is one cohesive unit standing together through challenges while reveling in each other’s success,” further added the secretary of the BCCI.

Shortly after posting the farewell message for ‘The Wall,’ Shah went on to confirm after weeks of speculation that Gambhir will be the new head coach.

“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,” said the announcement on X.

Agencies