The suspense is over: Gautam Gambhir will succeed Rahul Dravid as the head coach, starting with India’s limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka. Gambhir’s appointment was officially announced last Wednesday. Although he missed the Zimbabwe tour, where VVS Laxman served as acting coach, Gambhir, the former India opener, is set to take charge in 10 days, heralding a new era in Indian cricket.

It’s important to note that, unlike his predecessors Dravid and Ravi Shastri, Gambhir has no prior coaching experience. However, he served as a mentor for three seasons—two with Lucknow Super Giants and one with Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this year—with a commendable track record. LSG reached the IPL Playoffs in 2022 and 2023, and KKR won the title two months ago. While Gambhir may lack extensive coaching experience, he brings a strong pedigree believed to be the right blend of aggression and balance to elevate Indian cricket to new heights.

Gambhir’s peers have been huge positive about his new role, with many considering him the best candidate for the job. However, former India captain Kapil Dev refrained from commenting extensively on Gambhir’s appointment, simply wishing the Indian team and its players good luck for the future.

“If Gautam Gambhir is taking on the role of head coach for the Indian cricket team, I wish him and the team all the best. I hope they achieve greater success than we did in the past. My best wishes go to the Indian players,” Kapil said to PTI during the 2nd edition of the Trinity Golf Champions League in New Delhi.

Kapil Dev’s Time as India’s Coach

Kapil has significant coaching experience with the Indian team, having served as head coach from September 1999 to September 2000. Unfortunately, his tenure was challenging, marked by a tough tour of Australia where India was whitewashed in the Test series and won only one out of 14 matches in the CB tri-series. Additionally, India suffered a 0-2 defeat against South Africa at home, marking their first Test series loss at home in 12 years.

During this time, Kapil faced match-fixing allegations from his former teammate Manoj Prabhakar, which shook the nation and ultimately led to his resignation. In 2004, he made a brief return to coaching as the bowling consultant for India’s tour of Pakistan.

Gambhir’s Challenge Ahead

However, Gambhir’s appointment is anticipated to differ significantly from Kapil’s tenure. He faces the daunting task of filling big shoes left by his predecessor, Dravid, who guided India to a World Cup victory after 13 years and an ICC title after 11. With the Champions Trophy and the third World Test Championship scheduled for next year, followed by the 2026 T20 World Cup on home soil, Gambhir faces a challenging tenure ahead. This includes the upcoming five-Test series in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy later this year.

The Gambhir era appears to be taking shape. Reports suggest he is keen to include Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who had earlier opted out of the Sri Lanka tour, in the upcoming series. With only a few ODIs remaining before the Champions Trophy in February 2025, Gambhir aims to strengthen the team. Furthermore, there are indications that under Gambhir’s leadership, India may witness a new T20I captain, with reports suggesting Suryakumar Yadav, rather than Hardik Pandya, is poised to succeed the recently retired Rohit Sharma.