Indian National Cricket Team Coaches: A classic but intriguing mixture of Foreign experts and homegrown leaders

The cinematic evolution of the Indian national cricket team on the international cricketing stage can not be only accredited to the iconic players. From time to time, many coaches have played a pivotal role in shaping the course of the team’s success.

Be it the South African Gary Kirsten under whose coachship India won the ICC ODI World Cup 2011, to the southpaw Rahul Dravid under whom the Men in Blue won the ICC T20I World Cup 2024, many tacticians have marked a name in India’s rich cricketing history. 

Here in this blog, we will have a look at some of the best India national cricket team coaches who made immeasurable contributions to making the Indian side a dominant force in the world of cricket. 

Indian National Cricket Team Coaches List

P.R. Man Singh – The man who started it all in 1983

A product of India’s domestic cricket circuit, P.R. Mankad can be analyzed as the first visionary who recognized the rising force of Indian cricket. Though he never played for India, Mankad’s beyond-the-line game sense could be understood by the fact that he was one of the men on India’s selection committee that appointed Kapil Dev as the captain of India’s national side for the ODI World Cup in 1983. 

It was the charisma of Mankad and his team that, despite entering the tournament as the underdogs, the Indian side wrote history by lifting the World Cup trophy by defeating the West Indies in the ultimate showdown.

A true loyalist of Indian cricket, Ravi Shastri hailed him as the ‘One Man Army’ for his unsung role behind India’s unexpected success back in that time.  Notably, Man Singh also played a big role in India’s campaign in the ODI World Cup 1987, in which India played till the semifinal stage. 

John Wright – The first overseas coach of India

John Wright’s arrival in India as the national coach marks a change of era, as the former New Zealand cricketer was the first foreign coach of India. Moreover, the time when he took over the reins of the Men in Blue was probably the lowest time of Indian cricket. The team was getting heavily scrutinized and criticized over their probable involvement in the match-fixing case. When the then-coach Kapil Dev found himself involved in these situations, he stepped down from his coaching duties. 

This was the time when the BCCI decided to make some peculiar moves in the coaching department and bestowed highly important duties on the Kiwi. Though the situation in the dressing room was running on a dismal note, Wright, with his calm demeanor and positive approach, brought a new flair to the team. 

He provided a free hand to notable players like Virender Sehwag, recognizing their explosive playing style as a crucial asset for the side in the starting overs. India made an unexpected incline throughout his coaching stint (2000-2005), emerging as the joint winners of the ICC Champions Trophy. The most important tournament of his time was the World Cup 2003, in which India ended as the runner-up. 

Gary Kirsten – The man who brought the glory back

Following John Wright’s successful tenure, BCCI did not hesitate to rope in another foreign coach for India’s side. While India won the T20I World Cup in 2007, it was the time when the Men-in-Blue, under the astute leadership of MS Dhoni, were aiming for the ODI World Cup 2011. 

This was the time when the former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten took over as the coach. An avid game reader, Kirsten focused on creating a perfect blend of youth and experience in the team. 

It was Kirsten’s era when young players like Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina stepped onto the cricketing scene. His contribution in framing the Indian side which triumphed in the ODI World Cup 2007 is incomparable. He could be regarded as one of the most successful coaches of the Indian cricket team, under whom the South Indian nation established itself as a force to be reckoned with.  

Ravi Shastri – The longest-serving coach of the Indian cricket team

Former Indian cricket legend, Ravi Shastri is the highest-serving coach of the Indian cricket team, serving a combined tenure of over six years. The thing that made Shastri a stand-out coach was his out-of-the-box coaching style. His mindset was not just rooted in the technical aspects of the players. Rather, he insisted on playing a fearless style of cricket. 

One of his biggest achievements of Shastri is the turnaround of the Indian cricket team as a formidable giant in the realm of Test cricket. It was under his coaching tenure when India defeated Australia not just once but twice in a Test series, too on their home ground. 

Often criticized for his lack of tactical depth, another talking point of his era was the team’s sloppy run in the knockout stages of the ICC tournaments. While criticisms go on, Shastri is highly recognized as the coach who changed the team’s mindset. Moreover, his abroad success rate and his role in building a core of match-winners made him an absolute legend of the game. 

Rahul Dravid – The most loved coach of all time

Hailed as ‘The Wall’, Rahul Dravid is by far the most successful and the most loved Indian cricket coach of all time. Unlike his predecessor Ravi Shastri who relied on fearlessness and a highly aggressive approach, Dravid presented stability, patience, reliability, and high-term vision. 

Having previously worked with India A and India’s U-19 mentoring setup, his interaction with youngsters like Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal has proven catalyst in establishing them into the team’s dynamics. With a keen focus on keeping a good bench strength, Dravid’s coaching philosophy focused on finding the tactical flaws of the players and making them capable skilled to getting past them. 

However, the biggest setback for him was India’s defeat against Australia in the ODI World Cup 2023 final, which shattered up million dreams of Indian cricket fans. Time changed in 2024 when India surprisingly defeated South Africa in the pinnacle clash of the T20I World Cup 2024. This major ICC tournament victory became another milestone for the highly illustrious former Indian cricketer. 

Gautam Gambhir – Current coach

Gautam Gambhir is the 26th and current coach of the Indian national cricket team. Though it’s not more than a year since he took over, his tenure is already marked with bad performances and controversies. Be it the reported dressing room arguments or India’s horrible defeat in the Border Gavaskar trophy 2024/25, these points have given serious dents to his prospects as the coach of Men in Blue. 

While he heads for his first ICC tournament as the national coach i.e. Champions Trophy 2025, many eyes would be on the Delhi-based former Indian cricketer on how he manages the team and guides them throughout their campaign in the highly prestigious cricketing extravaganza. 

Recognized for his highly aggressive approach and outspoken nature often becomes a topic of discussion amongst the cricketing fraternity. However, it would be exciting to see how he paves his attitude to play a role in the team’s success ahead. 

Conclusion

The role of the Indian cricket team’s coach is not a simple thing to handle and get past. From public scrutinies to dressing room controversies, it has been always a challenging task for the coaches to keep things in balance and meanwhile equally working for the upliftment of the team.

Coaching a world-class side like India is not just about going through the technical aspect. It requires a healthy man-management good acumen, and the ability to work under high pressure, especially at times when things are not going your way. As we close this chapter here, the notable coaches mentioned above have left a long-lasting impact on Indian cricket.