List of Team India coaches in men’s cricket

The Indian cricket team is one of the most sought-after in the world currently, with some of the greatest players in sports at their disposal regardless of the Test, ODI, or T20I formats. While players have to score runs, take wickets, and deliver quality performances for their team, to ensure the best possible results on the field, a lot goes on behind the scenes for earning success, and a major part of it depends on the head coach and their support staff.

In their all encompassing role as the head coach of a cricket team, he or she makes plans and strategies for a particular match, helping the players prepare for a contest and develop their skills in the best possible way in practice apart from giving confidence and learning to them to succeed on the big stage. Analysing the performance of each and every player after a contest, building a team environment for everyone to thrive is also critical for a head coach.

This article from SportsTiger looks at some of the best coaches of Team India in men’s cricket, who lived up to their billing and played a key role in delivering big successes to the ever-demanding Indian fans.

Below are some of the best Team India coaches in men’s cricket

1. Gary Kirsten

Gary Kirsten is hailed by many as the best coach of Team India in its rich cricketing history. The former South African cricketer was an important figure in ensuring that India won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 at home under the captaincy of MS Dhoni after 28 years. He also was a part of the Indian cricket team that became the No. 1 ranked team in the ICC Rankings for the first-time ever in 2009.

2. Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri is one of the most outspoken characters in Indian cricket, and he was in-charge of Team India on three separate occasions. He was named the interim coach of the side in 2007 after the departure of Greg Chappell from the role, and then, in 2014, he was appointed the team director during Duncan Fletcher’s last few months as head coach. The former Indian cricketer became the head coach in 2017, and with Virat Kohli at the helm, he helped the side win a Test series for the first-time in Australia in 2018-19 season.

3. Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid, one of the greatest batters in Indian cricket history, became the head coach of the side in 2021. During his illustrious tenure, India went on to end their decade-long drought of an ICC trophy by winning the T20 World Cup 2024 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. But, at the same time, Rahul Dravid also oversaw India’s defeats against Australia in the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2023 final and ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final, with the latter one at home.

4. Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir, the former Indian cricketer, became the head coach of Team India in the summer of 2024, and his biggest accomplishment in the ongoing coaching tenure is winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. Although, the Indian Test team has taken a free fall of sorts under his coaching after losing a Test series at home for the first-time in well over a decade, getting clean swept by New Zealand 3-0 last year before suffering 3-1(5) defeat against Australia down under in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25.

Check out the detailed list of Team India coaches in men’s cricket: