Rahul Dravid Welcomes Gautam Gambhir as New Coach for Team India
Former Indian skipper and head coach Rahul Dravid expressed optimism that the Indian team will benefit from the vast playing and coaching experience of their new coach Gautam Gambhir. Dravid was speaking at an event in Delhi organized by Roombr.
Dravid, who was appointed as the Team India head coach in November 2021, led the team to significant achievements, including finishing as runners-up in the 2021-2023 ICC World Test Championship and winning the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup held at home. The Men in Blue also ended their 11-year-long trophy drought by capturing their second ICC T20 World Cup title.
Answering a media query, Dravid said, “I think he has got a lot of experience as a player. He has played a lot. He has obviously coached quite a bit. In any situation, one brings his own experiences, knowledge to the table. I am sure the team is going to benefit from what Gautam is going to bring to the table along with his team.”
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the appointment of Gambhir as head coach on July 9, just days after India’s T20 World Cup win. Gambhir had previously led Kolkata Knight Riders to their first Indian Premier League (IPL) title after 2014 and their overall third title with Shreyas Iyer as captain.
Dravid will also be making a return to the Rajasthan Royals (RR) as head coach ahead of the next season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) next year. The former Royals captain and coach spent five seasons with the franchise from 2011 to 2015 and will commence with the team immediately, working with Royals’ Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara to implement the franchise’s overall cricketing strategy.
From 2011-13 seasons, Dravid played 46 matches for the franchise, scoring 1,276 runs at an average of 29.67, with seven fifties. His best score was 66. The 51-year-old Dravid, one of the greatest batters to have represented India, began his coaching career with the Royals back in 2014 when he transitioned from serving as the captain to being the team’s mentor. Since then, Dravid has been involved in various capacities with the National Cricket Academy (NCA), the Indian Men’s U19, and the Indian Men’s Senior team, leading the nation to the top of the Test, ODI, and T20I rankings during his tenure, and topping it up with the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup crown recently.
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Rahul Dravid -: Rahul Dravid is a famous former Indian cricketer who was known for his excellent batting skills. He is also called ‘The Wall’ because he was very good at defending his wicket.
Gautam Gambhir -: Gautam Gambhir is another famous Indian cricketer who played important roles in winning big matches for India. He is now becoming a coach to help other players improve.
Team India -: Team India refers to the national cricket team of India. They play cricket matches against other countries.
Kolkata Knight Riders -: Kolkata Knight Riders, or KKR, is a team in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which is a big cricket tournament in India. Gautam Gambhir was very successful when he played for this team.
BCCI -: BCCI stands for the Board of Control for Cricket in India. It is the organization that manages cricket in India.
T20 World Cup -: The T20 World Cup is a big international cricket tournament where teams from different countries play matches that are 20 overs long.
Rajasthan Royals -: Rajasthan Royals is another team in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Rahul Dravid will be their head coach for the next season.
IPL -: IPL stands for Indian Premier League, which is a very popular cricket tournament in India where teams from different cities compete.