Head coaches in cricket often play a vital role by leading their teams to victory through their strategic acumen and in-depth understanding of the game. Over the past several decades, Indian cricket has had some of the finest head coaches who have imparted invaluable knowledge, nurtured talent and instilled a winning mindset. While experience is often considered crucial for the job of a head coach, this blog will talk about the youngest coaches in India
Former cricketer Ashok Mankad was appointed India's head coach in 1982, just four years after he played his last international match for Team India. Mankad was just 35 years old at the time of his appointment and became the youngest head coach in Indian cricket history. Under his guidance, the Indian team failed to win a single match on their Test and ODI tour of England in June and also failed to beat Sri Lanka in a home Test series.
Former Indian batsman and member of the 1983 World Cup-winning team, Sandeep Patil signed on as the coach of the national team in March 1996 at the age of 39, i.e. after the conclusion of the 1996 ODI World Cup. He replaced Ajit Wadekar at that time and led the Indian team until the end of the year. During his tenure, Team India lost one Test and one ODI series in England; failed to qualify for the final of the quadrangular 1996 Singer World Series, and lost the five-match rubber to Pakistan in Canada by a margin of 2-3. After his unsuccessful stint for the Indian team, Sandeep Patil landed a successful coaching job for Kenya, and served the BCCI through several roles in the early 2010s.
Amid India's persistent troubles overseas in the late 1990s, 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev was appointed the team's head coach in September 1999 at the age of 40. His selection coincided with the appointment of a new Indian captain in the form of all-time great Sachin Tendulkar. Kapil Dev's tenure was marred by a fresh string of defeats for Team India, as they won only one Test in eight attempts and nine ODIs in 25 matches.
Former South Africa batsman Gary Kirsten was appointed India's head coach in late 2008 at the age of 41. His association with skipper MS Dhoni has been one of the most successful endeavours for Team India as they won a Test series in New Zealand, tied another series in South Africa and also regained the number one Test ranking. Kirsten's three-year tenure culminated with India's historic 2011 World Cup win, followed by a celebratory evening in Mumbai in which the Proteas legend was carried around the field by Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Yusuf Pathan.
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… pic.twitter.com/bvXyP47kqJ
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) July 9, 2024
Gautam Gambhir was an integral member of India's 2007 and 2011 T20 World Cup and ODI World Cup-winning teams. As captain, the former Indian opener led KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 and will lead them to their third win a decade later in 2024. Due to his impressive performances in major tournaments, Gautam Gambhir was appointed as Rahul Dravid's successor as the coach of the Indian cricket team after the 2024 T20 World Cup win in June. He was just 42 years old and became one of the youngest Indian head coaches in history.
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