In this article, we will discuss detailed information about all Indian Cricket Coach List The Indian cricket team has firmly established itself as one of the most successful squads on the global stage, securing the Cricket World Cup twice and the ICC Champions Trophy three times under the guidance of India’s national cricket team coaches. However, this successful journey has also been marred by challenges, including excellent performances, disciplinary issues, and leadership voids.
Who are the coaches of the Indian cricket team?
Formerly experienced cricketers have always been great head coaches. They use their skills and knowledge to help young cricketers improve their game. They also teach them how to understand the game better and bring out their best performance.
How well a player does on the field depends on their talents and how they were coached. This makes coaches really important in a cricketer’s journey.
In this article, let’s look at the list of coaches for the Indian National Cricket Team who have taken the team to the number one spot in the world.
Indian Cricket Coach List
PR Man Singh (1983–1987):
- Designation: Team Manager
- Key Achievement: led India to its historic Cricket World Cup victory in 1983.
Chandu Borde (1988):
- Designation: Coach
- Tenure: short-lived stint; details of contributions are limited.
Bishan Singh Bedi (1990–1991):
- Designation: Coach
- Key Achievements: Emphasizing spin bowling, we saw the emergence of young talents like Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath.
Abbas Ali Baig (1991–1992):
- Designation: Coach
- Tenure: brief period, focused on team discipline and fitness.
Ajit Wadekar (1992–1996):
- Designation: First official Head Coach
- Key Achievements: stabilized the team, emphasized batting technique, and won series against South Africa and the West Indies.
Sandeep Patil (1996–1997):
- Designation: Head Coach
- Key Achievements: Focused on aggressive batting, he won series in England and Zimbabwe.
Madan Lal (1997):
- Designation: Head Coach (Interim)
- Tenure: short stint; oversaw a tour to Sri Lanka.
Anshuman Gaekwad (1997–1999):
- Designation: Head Coach
- Key Achievements: Emphasizing mental conditioning, they won series against Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
John Wright (2000-2005)
- Nationality: New Zealand
- Tenure: 5 years (2000–2005)
- Achievements: Reached the 2003 Cricket World Cup final and helped improve team professionalism and fitness.
- Notable aspects: first foreign coach of the Indian team, known for his calm and composed demeanor.
Greg Chappell (2002-2003)
- Nationality: Australia
- Tenure: 1.5 years (2002-2003)
- Achievements: Won the 2002 Champions Trophy.
- Notable aspects: controversial tenure marked by clashes with then-captain Sourav Ganguly, ultimately leading to his resignation.
John Buchanan (2003–2007)
- Nationality: Australia
- Tenure: 4 years (2003–2007)
- Achievements: Won the 2007 T20 World Cup; reached the 2007 Cricket World Cup semi-final.
- Notable aspects: first coach to win the Cricket World Cup with two different teams (Australia and India).
Lalchand Rajput (2007-2008)
- Nationality: India
- Tenure: 1 year (2007-2008)
- Achievements: Won the inaugural 2007 T20 World Cup.
- Notable aspects: short but successful tenure, focused on building team unity and confidence.
Gary Kirsten (2008-2011)
- Nationality: South Africa
- Tenure: 3 years (2008–2011)
- Achievements: Won the 2011 Cricket World Cup; reached the 2009 Champions Trophy final.
- Notable aspects: first foreign coach to win the Cricket World Cup with India; known for his innovative coaching methods and man-management skills.
Duncan Fletcher (2011-2014)
- Nationality: England
- Tenure: 3 years (2011–2014)
- Achievements: Won the 2013 Champions Trophy.
- Notable aspects: focused on improving fielding and fitness; criticized for his rigid coaching style.
Ravi Shastri (2014–2015, 2017–2021)
Ravi Shastri was the most successful in the Test arena of all the Indian cricket team coaches. During his tenure, India won 58.10% of all their Test matches. Shastri’s attitude towards the sport caused a seismic change in cricket coaching philosophy in India. The men in blue started playing an aggressive brand of cricket that involved taking the attack to the opposition. The cricket coaching techniques of Shastri promoted pace bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and a few others. He has been successful in orchestrating Test victories in Australia and England.
- Nationality: India
- Tenure: 4 years (2014–2015, 2017–2021)
- Achievements: Reached the 2017 Champions Trophy final and the 2019 Cricket World Cup semi-final.
- Notable aspects: aggressive and motivating leader, popular with the players, criticized for his selection choices at times.
Anil Kumble (2016–2017)
- Nationality: India
- Tenure: 1 year (2016–2017)
- Achievements: Won the 2017 Champions Trophy.
- Notable aspects: the disciplined and demanding coach had a public falling out with then-captain Virat Kohli, leading to his resignation.
Rahul Dravid (2021–Present)
Rahul Dravid is the 26th and current head coach of the Indian cricket team. Dravid enjoyed successful stints at the underage level and worked as a mentor for several IPL teams. Dravid is a strict disciplinarian, and the current Indian cricket team management puts emphasis on developing the fitness levels of the cricketers. India won the 2023 Asia Cup during his tenure and reached the final of the ODI World Cup in the same year.
- Nationality: India
- Tenure: Currently ongoing (since 2021)
- Achievements: Too early to say, leading India in the ongoing 2023–24 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.
- Notable aspects: Considered one of the greatest Indian batsmen of all time, he is known for his calm and composed demeanor and focus on player development.
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Assistant Coaches India Cricket Team
The head coach of the India cricket team is supported by a selected assortment of BCCI coaching staff. Vikram Rathore is the current batting coach of the Indian cricket team. Paras Mhambrey works as the bowling coach of the India cricket team. The fielding coach, T. Dilip, is a popular figure among the cricketers.
India Cricket Team Performance Coaches
There are a few individuals who are currently working tirelessly to improve the current performance levels of the current coaches. They function as an extension of India’s assistant coaching team. Here is the list of those individuals:
| Name | Role |
| Kamlesh Jain | Physio |
| Sohum Desai | Strength and Conditioning Coach |
| Paddy Upton | Mental Conditioning Coach |
| S Raghu | Throwdown Specialist |
The First Head Coach of Indian Cricket Team
Keki Tarpore became the first head coach of the Indian cricket team in 1971. Tarpore did not possess notable credentials as a cricketer. His appearances were limited to the Ranji Trophy only. However, he gained the respect of the cricketers for his innovative coaching techniques that altered their perception of the game and their general attitude towards the role of a coach.
Conclusion
The journey of Indian cricket coache list the ever-evolving nature of the sport. From the early days of establishment to embracing international expertise, and from periods of triumph to transitions, each coach has left an indelible mark on Indian cricket. The coaching fraternity continues to play a crucial role in nurturing talent, shaping characters, and steering the Indian cricket team towards new horizons.
