Coaches are an important and integral part of any team. Whether we see any sport, there is always a coach to guide a team. A coach is a position held by those who have in-depth knowledge of the game. People with great analytical power, playing experience, and problem-solving instincts are ideal for this position. Today in this article, we are going to talk about the coaches of the Indian cricket team. Since the list of coaches or managers is very large due to the long history of the Indian team, this article will focus on the coaches of the Indian cricket team since 2000.
Major Coaches of Indian National Cricket Team (Since 2000)
John Wright – Beginning of a foreign coach
From 2000–2005, John Wright was appointed as the coach of the Indian cricket team. He was a former New Zealand player and the first foreign coach of an Indian team. Under his tenure, India has earned many remarkable achievements. During his tenure, he led the team to the finals of the 2003 ODI World Cup. Winning a test series from Australia in the last match of the series, which India won, coming back from follow-on in Kolkata. Defeating arch-rival Pakistan and winning the series were major highlights of his tenure.
Greg Chappell – The disputed tenure
After Wright’s remarkable era, John Chappell was appointed as a team coach. Chappell’s techniques and behavior with the team were quite opposite from Wright’s methods. His conflicts with Saurav Ganguly caused him to leave his captainship. Rahul Dravid was appointed as a new captain, but this change did not go in favor of the team’s performance. During his tenure, India won only 32 matches out of 62 matches. Senior players were not impressed with his techniques, including Sachin Tendulkar. Also Read: MS Dhoni Centuries Outside India and Asia
Gary Kirsten – The beginning of glory
After Chappell was removed from his post, Ravi Shastri was appointed as interim coach, and Lalchand Rajput was appointed for the short term. India won the 2007 T20 World Cup during this time. However, Rajput led India to its only T20 World Cup win, but Gary Kristen was appointed as the new head coach. Gary Kristen’s tenure was filled with a whole lot of achievements. Under his guidance, India got the No. 1 position in the ICC test rankings for the first time in 2010. Gary, with MS Dhoni, helped India to win their second ODI World Cup. India was at its highest point during his tenure. Fletcher is a former player for the Zimbabwe national team. During his tenure, the Indian team achieved greater heights in limited formats, including winning the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy.
Ravi Shastri & Virat Kohli – The Caption Coach duo Dominance
After Fletcher’s tenure was over, Anil Kumble was appointed as the head coach of India, but his tenure and guidance did not last long due to conflicts with the Indian team. After Kumble, Ravi Shastri was appointed, he led India to become the strongest and most dominant team in the world. Captain Kohli loved to play under his guidance. This caption-coach duo made India remain the best team for 42 months, from 2016 to 2020. Shahtri’s guidance led India to win 69.2% of their T20 matches, 67.1% of ODI matches, and 58.10% of test matches. Also Read: Top 10 Greatest Indian Spinners of all time
Rahul Dravid – The current Wall Era
Rahul Dravid is the current head coach of the Indian cricket team. Before becoming an Indian coach, Dravid was the coach of the U-19 Indian team. In his tenure, India reached the final of the ODI World Cup in 2023 but ended their campaign with a disappointing loss.
Indian National Cricket Team Coaches Since 2000
Tenure | Coaches’ Name | Nationality |
---|---|---|
2000-2005 | New Zealand | Greg Chappell |
2005-2007 | Greg Chappell | Australia |
2007-2008 | Lalchand Rajput | India |
2008-2011 | Gary kristen | South Africa |
2011-2015 | Duncan Fletcher | Zimbabwe |
2016-2017 | Ravi Shastri | India |
2009, 2015, 2017-21 | Ravi Shashtri | India |
2021-present | Rahul Dravid | India |