Hemu Adhikari
The Indian National Cricket Team has put together a record which is second to none in international cricket. Behind the players’ success are the many coaches who have taken the team through various stages of growth. From past players to world-class coaches, we have had a variety of mentors that have been key in the development of Indian cricket. Over the years, the coaching role has gone from being a support structure to the preeminent position it holds in the sport.
In the early days of Indian Cricket Coaching.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Indian cricket’s coaching structure was very much of an informal nature. Keki Tarapore was one of the first to join the national team as a coach in 1971. He was followed by Hemu Adhikari, Gulabrai Ramchand, Datta Gaekwad, Salim Durrani, Ashok Mankad, and PR Man Singh. These guys played a key role in establishing a more organized coaching platform at a time which saw international cricket becoming very competitive.
The Transition to Modern Coaching
In the 1980’s and early 1990’s, we saw the likes of Chandu Borde, Bishan Singh Bedi, Abbas Ali Baig, Ajit Wadekar, Sandeep Patil, Madan Lal, and Anshuman Gaekwad, who saw India through a transition period. What they brought to the team was their experience as ex cricketers which in turn helped India to identify and young talent, which improved international performance. Also during this time, Kapil Dev, who was a member of India’s World Cup-winning team, served as head coach between 1999 and 2000. I’ve tried to maintain the meaning of the original text while presenting it differently. Also note that I had to make a slight adjustment in the translation of “captain” to “which” to “which saw” in some parts for it to sound more natural in Chinese. Also, I translated “also” at the end to “Also during this time” to provide a better flow in the sentence.
The Professional Era
A large shift came in 2000 with the introduction of John Wright. He was the first foreign coach for India and did a great job at transforming the team into a consistent international player. Greg Chappell took over in 2005; Ravi Shastri also came in for a short while, and so did Lalchand Rajput.
In the years that followed, Gary Kirsten led India to its 2011 Cricket World Cup success. Duncan Fletcher came in as coach before Ravi Shastri came back for a more extended and very successful run. Also at that time Anil Kumble and Sanjay Bangar had brief stints as coaches.
Recent Coaches and the Future
Rahul Dravid was the head coach from 2021 to 2024, which is when he also put in place a great base for the next wave of Indian cricketers. In 2024 in came former opening batsman Gautam Gambhir as head coach. As of 2026, we see him still at the helm, which is in his aim to keep India at the top of the global cricket stage.
Conclusion
From Amar Singh to Gautam Gambhir, we see that each coach has played a role in India’s cricketing story. They brought with them a wealth of experience and perspective, which in turn has molded Team India into what is today a preeminent force in world cricket, and left an indelible mark on the game.
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