The India National Cricket Team Coaches: As of February 2024, Rahul Dravid holds the 24th position on the list of individuals who have managed or coached the side over the past century. Back on June 25, 1932, the Indian national cricket team was granted Test status, becoming part of the cricket-playing nations alongside England, Australia, South Africa, the West Indies, and New Zealand. Historically, the Indian team did not have a designated coach, relying instead on a team manager to oversee matters behind the scenes. Presented below is a comprehensive list of all the managers and coaches of the Indian national cricket team from 1971 onwards.
Table of Contents
India national cricket team coaches: Full list
| Sl No | Team India head coach | Duration | Nationality |
| 1 | Keki Tarapore | 1971 | India |
| 2 | Hemu Adhikari | 1971 – 1974 | India |
| 3 | Gulabrai Ramchand | 1975 | India |
| 4 | Datta Gaekwad | 1978 | India |
| 5 | Salim Durrani | 1980 – 1981 | India |
| 6 | Ashok Mankad | 1982 | India |
| 7 | PR Man Singh | 1983 – 1987 | India |
| 8 | Chandu Borde | 1988 – 1989 & 2007 | India |
| 9 | Bishen Singh Bedi | 1990 – 1991 | India |
| 10 | Abbas Ali Baig | 1991 – 1992 | India |
| 11 | Ajit Wadekar | 1992 – 1996 | India |
| 12 | Sandeep Patil | 1996 | India |
| 13 | Madan Lal | 1996 – 1997 | India |
| 14 | Anshuman Gaekwad | 1997 – 1999 | India |
| 15 | Kapil Dev | 1999- 2000 | India |
| 16 | John Wright | 2000 – 2005 | New Zealand |
| 17 | Greg Chappell | 2005 – 2007 | Australia |
| 18 | Ravi Shastri | 2007, 2015, 2017 – 2021 | India |
| 19 | Lalchand Rajput | 2007 – 2008 | India |
| 20 | Gary Kirsten | 2008 – 2011 | South Africa |
| 21 | Duncan Fletcher | 2011 – 2015 | Zimbabwe |
| 22 | Sanjay Bangar (Interim) | 2016 | India |
| 23 | Anil Kumble | 2016 – 2017 | India |
| 24 | Rahul Dravid | 2021-2023 | India |
Rahul Dravid: Current Indian Cricket Team Coach
Following his success in guiding India’s U-19 team to the World Cup title in 2018, Dravid assumed the role of overseeing the National Cricket Academy, focusing on the development of emerging talents, earning him a spot on our list of India national cricket team coaches. However, with Shastri resigning from the coaching position in 2021, Dravid has taken on the role, now working alongside the new captain, Rohit Sharma.
Ravi Shastri: Indian Cricket to New Heights
Following Gary Kirsten, Duncan Fletcher took charge of the India national cricket team coaches from 2011 to 2015, securing the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy with the Men in Blue. However, his success primarily thrived in the limited-overs format, with MS Dhoni’s captaincy playing a pivotal role. Fletcher’s successor, former Indian cricketer Ravi Shastri, elevated India’s status as a cricket powerhouse, despite not clinching major titles. Shastri’s appointment raised concerns among those favoring Anil Kumble for the role, but the disciplinarian approach of Kumble didn’t align with the then-captain Virat Kohli.
Read More: Best Cricket Captains in the World
Shastri and Kohli formed a formidable coach-captain duo, steering Team India to an unprecedented 42-month stint as the no. 1 Test team from 2016 to 2020. Under Shastri’s guidance, India secured victories in 58.10% of Test matches, 67.1% of ODIs, and 69.20% of T20Is. Besides winning the 2018 Asia Cup, Shastri played a crucial role in India’s two historic Test series victories in Australia and reaching the ICC World Test Championship final. His bowling coach, Bharat Arun, deserves credit for nurturing pacers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, and others, enabling their dominance in red-ball cricket.
Gary Kristen: World Cup 2011
Prior to Gary Kirsten assuming the coaching role in 2008, India had Ravi Shastri as an interim coach, followed by a brief stint by Lalchand Rajput. Despite Rajput guiding India to their sole T20 World Cup victory in 2007, Kirsten replaced him within months, commencing his coaching tenure with MS Dhoni as the captain. Under Kirsten’s guidance, India ascended to the top spot in Test cricket, culminating in the pinnacle achievement of winning the 2011 World Cup, ending a 21-year drought.
Greg Chappell Era: Infamous and a dark spot in Indian Cricket
While John Wright set an example with his camaraderie alongside Indian team captain Sourav Ganguly, Greg Chappell took the opposite approach. Chappell’s public discord with Ganguly resulted in the captain losing both his leadership role and a place in the Indian team, with Rahul Dravid assuming command. Unfortunately, the consequences were unfavorable, as India managed to win only 32 out of 62 matches during Chappell’s three-year coaching stint. This led to his removal in 2007 and a dark phase in the India national cricket team coaches history.
Keki Tarapore: First Indian national cricket team coach
Primarily recognized as a coach rather than a cricketer, Keki Tarapore, hailing from Karnataka, had minimal highlights in his first-class cricket career, confined to a single Ranji Trophy match. Nevertheless, Tarapore earned immense respect from Indian cricketers for his coaching prowess. Serving as the team manager of the national cricket team in 1971, he is widely acknowledged as the inaugural coach in the history of Indian cricket.
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