NEW DELHI: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) celebrated the appointment of their former captain and mentor,
Gautam Gambhir
, as the head coach of the India men's cricket team with a heartfelt tribute. Gambhir, a two-time World Cup winner, will begin his tenure later this month with the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka.
KKR took to social media platform X to honor Gambhir's new role, posting an old quote from him: "There is no bigger honour than coaching your national team."
Along with the quote, KKR also shared a video montage showcasing Gambhir's journey and accomplishments with the franchise, captioning - 'Guru Gambhir'.
Gambhir's coaching journey officially begins as India face Sri Lanka in three T20Is and three ODIs starting July 27.
Although Gambhir has no formal coaching experience, he has made a significant impact as a mentor in the Indian Premier League. He guided the Lucknow Super Giants during the 2022 and 2023 seasons and returned to KKR as a mentor in 2024, leading them to their third IPL title. As a player, Gambhir captained KKR to two IPL titles in 2012 and 2014.
KKR's tribute highlighted Gambhir's profound influence on the team, both as a player and mentor.
Gambhir succeeds
Rahul Dravid
, who recently led India to their second
T20 World Cup
triumph. As head coach, Gambhir will oversee several key assignments, including the five-Test tour of Australia in November, the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan, and the 2026 T20 World Cup co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
Gambhir's illustrious playing career includes pivotal roles in India's 2011 Cricket World Cup and 2007 T20 World Cup victories. He was named ICC's Test player of the year in 2009 and retired from international cricket in 2016 with over 10,000 runs across all formats. His final cricketing chapter was with the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, where he retired from all forms of cricket in 2018.
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