Indian national cricket team coaches have one of the toughest of in cricket – meeting the expectations of more than one billion people. It is a tempting job that comes with pressure and temptation. The head coach of the Indian cricket team and the assistant coaches work hard to keep the performance level of the international cricketers up. The head coach along with his support staff, are responsible for implementing the latest cricket coaching techniques mixed with the traditional cricket coaching philosophy of India. Rahul Dravid and his team is working tirelessly to give the Indian national team the best pedagogical output with latest innovations and technical improvements.
Current Indian Cricket Team Coach
Rahul Dravid is the head coach of the Indian cricket team. Dravid has the necessary experience and pedigree to become the coach of any national cricket team. The former batting master from Indore has 24,000 international runs. He has participated in more than 500 games for the Indian national team. Dravid was a loyal servant for the team for a period of 15 years. After his retirement, Dravid worked as a mentor for the Rajasthan Royals team in the IPL back in 2014.
After that he worked as a mentor for the national team in a tour of England. The Royals finished third in the 2015 IPL season. Dravid then got his first taste in management after being appointed as the head coach of the India U-19 team. Simultaneously, he also performed the role of the main coach for the India A team.
Dravid justified the BCCI coaching appointments by leading the U-19 team to the final of the 2016 U-19 Cricket World Cup. A couple of years later, the U-19 team would go onto win the tournament. Future stars like Washington Sundar, Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant flourished under Dravid’s leadership and cricket coaching techniques. Apart from the coaching role, Dravid also fulfilled the duties of the mentorship role of several IPL teams such as Delhi Daredevils.
Before his appointment as the head coach of Indian cricket team, Dravid spent four years as the head of National Cricket Academy India (NCA). The current India cricket team coach was in charge of all the activities that was taking place in that organization. He was appreciated throughout his stint for his dedication for the cause and maintaining the fitness levels and performances of the players through fitness training and rehabilitation regiments.
Rahul Dravid was appointed as the head coach of Indian cricket team in November 2019. Under his tutelage, India has been a consistent performer in world cricket. The team won the 2023 Asia Cup by beating Sri Lanka in the final. They also qualified for the World Test Championship Final 2023 but narrowly missed out on a trophy by losing to Australia. The Australian cricket team became the nemesis for India once again in November, beating them in front of a packed crowd in Hyderabad.
Dravid and his support staff in the Indian cricket team put emphasis on the fitness levels of a cricketer. Dravid;s cricket coaching philosophy revolves around the idea that the player needs to be 100% fit first in order to stay focused and perform at the highest level. His cricket coaching techniques include a lot of fitness regime and tough drills.
Amol Muzumdar was appointed as the head coach of India
women’s cricket team. The head of the BCCI coaching appointments stated that Muzumdar was picked for his vast array of knowledge and modern cricket coaching techniques. Amol Muzumdar was a fantastic player in the domestic circuit of Indian cricket, scoring over 11000 runs in first class cricket. Muzumdar is a coach that believes in creating an amicable environment for the crickets where they can flourish and enjoy their cricket without restraints from the outside and realise their full potential.
Former India Cricket Team Coaches
India first achieved full membership of the ICC in 1923 and first head coach of Indian cricket team was appointed back in 1971. Keki Tarapore was the first head coach of Indian cricket team.There have been 24 BCCI (Board of Cricket Control India) since that period. Rahul Dravid is the current India cricket team coach. India won the 1983 Cricket World Cup under the coaching of PR Man Singh. The second World Cup success came in 2007, Mahendra Singh Dhoni led the T20 side to the inaugural World Cup title with Lalchand Rajput at the helm. Dhoni once again was the captain when India won their second ODI World Cup title on home turf in 2011. Gary Kirsten of South Africa was the head coach of India cricket team at that point of time. India also secured two Champions Trophies in their history. First under the coaching of John Wright and then Duncan Fletcher in 2002 and 2013 respectively. Here are some of the notable coaches and their achievements as the head coach of Indian cricket team:
The First Head Coach of Indian Cricket Team
Keki Tarpore became the first head coach of Indian cricket team back in 1971. Tarpore did not possess notable credentials as a cricket. His appearances was limited to Ranji Trophy only. However, the gained the respect of the cricketers for his innovative coaching techniques that altered the perception of the game and general attitude towards the role of a coach.
The First Head Coach of Indian Cricket Team to Win the WC
PR Man Singh was considered the first head coach of Indian cricket team who won the World Cup. Singh’s role was more of a manager than a traditional cricket coach. Before him, BCCI coaching appointments were based on tours. The head coach and support staff of India cricket did not receive long term contracts.
However, PR Man Singh remained at the helm for four long years from 1983 to 1987. He was more like a manager than a traditional cricket coach. During his tenure, India won the first World Cup in 1983. Under the leadership of Kapil Dev, the Indian boys fought against all odds to win the World Cup in 1983. They defeated the two time champions and a star studded West Indies team to achieve an unlikely victory at the Lord’s Cricket Ground.
Head Coach Stint Riddled with Controversy
The former Indian cricket team captain and hero of 1983 took the role of India cricket team coach in 1999. The decision came after back to back failed World Cup campaigns in 1996 and 1999 when India went out of the knockout stages. Kapil Dev appointed Sourav Ganguly as the cricket team captain in 2000. He won a series against South Africa, an event that was overshadowed by the match-fixing scandals by Hansi Cronje. However, Manoj Prabhakar, a former player and teammate of Kapil Dev made a sensational claim of Kapil trying to bribe him. After this was made public, Kapil had little choice, but to step down from his role as the India cricket team coach.
The First Head Coach from Overseas
Former New Zealand batsman John Wright was appointed after a scandal involving Kapil Dev. Wright became the first ever India cricket team coach to come from a foreign country. The Kiwi former player worked closely with his captain Sourav Ganguly to establish India as a force in the cricketing world. India won some memorable games in his era. That includes the famous Kolkata Test win against Australia, away series victories against Pakistan, Australia and England. Wright was a revolution in the India cricket team coaching history. His coaching techniques involved man management methods and looking after the psychological well being of the international players. The Wright-Ganguly duo also took India within a touching distance of the nation’s second World Cup trophy only to lose against Australia in the final.
Greg Chappelll and the Shocking Controveries
Greg Chappell is a famous cricketer from Australia who enjoyed a stellar playing career. But he is a living embodiment of the idea that not all the great players can go on to have successful coaching careers. After getting past BCCI coaching appointments, Chappell started his reign of terror in the national team. Sourav Ganguly was quickly removed from the role of captaincy and Rahul Dravid took his place. Chappell’s coaching philosophy revolved around the idea of authoritarian power. During his tenure, India was able to claim victory in only 32 out of 62 games and crashed out of 2007 Cricket World Cup. The team managed only one win in the tournament.
The First Foreign Coach to Win the World Cup
Former Proteas opener Gary Kirsten took the role of head coach of India national cricket team. He started his tenure with Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the captain of the national team. The era of Kirsten is considered to be the best among all of the India cricket team coaches. The South African brought back the player friendly environment within the camp and the team thrived under his tutelage. During his tenure, India became the no.1 Test team in the world. But the most notable achievement of the Kirsten-Dhoni era was the 2011 World Cup win that ended a long drought stretching over 21 years. The Kirsten era is one that is full of camaraderie and team spirit.
Ravi Shastri and Kohli Partnership
Ravi Shastri was the most successful in Test arena of all the India 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.
Rahul Dravid – the Current Coach of India National Team
Rahul Dravid is the 26th and current head coach of India cricket team. Dravid enjoyed successful stints in 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.
Here is full list of India national cricket team coaches starting from 1971
| Name | Nationality | Duration | Notes |
| Keki Tarapore | Indian | 1971 | First ever head coach of India cricket team |
| Hemu Adhikari | Indian | 1971-74 | |
| Gulabrai Ramchand | Indian | 1975 | |
| Datta Gaekwad | Indian | 1978 | |
| Salim Durrani | Indian | 1980-81 | |
| Ashok Mankad | Indian | 1982 | |
| PR Man Singh | Indian | 1983-87 | Won the first ever World Cup trophy |
| Chandu Borde | Indian | 1988 | |
| Bishan Singh Bedi | Indian | 1990-91 | |
| Abbas Ali Baig | Indian | 1991-92 | |
| Ajit Wadekar | Indian | 1992-96 | |
| Sandeep Patil | Indian | 1996 | |
| Madan Lal | indian | 1996-97 | |
| Anshuman Gaekwad | Indian | 1997-99 | |
| Kapil Dev | Indian | 1999-2000 | Had to step down due to match fixing scandals |
| John Wright | New Zealander | 2000-05 | First ever foreign head coach of India cricket team. Won the 2002 Champions Trophy and qualified for the 2003 World Cup final |
| Greg Chappell | Australian | 2005-07 | Created rift and disharmony with the Indian camp |
| Ravi Shastri | Indian | 2007 | |
| Lalchand Rajput | Indian | 2007-08 | Won the first ever T20 World Cup title in 2007 |
| Gary Kirsten | Indian | 2008-11 | The South African won the second World Cup Title in 2011. |
| Duncan Fletcher | English | 2011-15 | Won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. |
| Ravi Shastri | Indian | 2015 | First Tenure |
| Sanjay Bangar (Interim Role) | Indian | 2016 | The only interim head coach of India cricket team. |
| Anil Kumble | Indian | 2016-17 | |
| Ravi Shastri | Indian | 2017-21 | Created an era of dominance in Test cricket and won the 2018 Asia Cup. |
| Rahul Dravid | Indian | 2021-present | Won the 2023 Asia Cup and qualified for the 2023 World Cup final. |
Indian Women’s National Cricket Team Head Coach
Amol Mazumber is the current head coach of India women’s cricket team. He is 14th in the India women’s cricket team coaches list. Here is a comprehensive list of the individuals who has coached the Indian women’s cricket team:
| Name | Nationality | Tenure | Notes |
| Sudha Shah | Indian | 2003-07 | First ever head coach of India women’s national team |
| Shantha Rangaswamy | Indian | 2007-08 | |
| Sudha Shah | Indian | 2008-10 | Second Tenure |
| KVP Rao | Indian | 2010 | |
| Anju Jain | Indian | 2011-13 | |
| Tushar Arothe | Indian | 2013-14 | First Tenure |
| Purnima Rau | Indian | 2014 | First Tenure |
| Sudha Shah | Indian | 2014 | Third Tenure |
| Purnima Rau | Indian | 2015-17 | Second Tenure |
| Tushar Arothe | Indian | 2017-18 | Second Tenure |
| Ramesh Powar | Indian | 2018 | First Tenure |
| WV Raman | Indian | 2018-21 | |
| Ramesh Powar | Indian | 2021-22 | Second Tenure |
| Amol Mazumdar | Indian | 2021-present |
Assistant Coaches India Cricket Team
The head coach of India cricket team is supported by a selected assortment of BCCI coaching staff. Vikram Rathore is the current batting coach of India cricket team. Paras Mhambrey works as the bowling coach of 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 coaches 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 |
National Selectors of BCCI
The selectors perform a tough job of selecting the best among the current crop of talented players in India. Apart from the national cricket team coaches, these individuals have the final say in the selection process of the cricketers. The current board includes:
| Name | Former Playing Role |
| Ajit Agarkar (Chairman) | Fast bowling all-rounder |
| Shiv Sunder Das | Opening batsman |
| Shubroto Banerjee | Pacer |
| Salil Ankola | Pacer |
| Sridharan Sarath | Batsman |
The Role of National Cricket Academy India
National Cricket Academy India (NCA) is a cricket facility in Bengaluru that is established to bring the best out of young talents. This facility specialises in creating the best training facility that is run by BCCI coaching staff and occasionally by former India cricket team coaches. The facility was established in 2000 at a location near the famous Chinnaswamy Cricket Stadium.
This facility also serves the purpose of rehabilitating the injured players. The current director of this institution is the former middle order batsman and coach VVS Laxman. Before accepting the role of head coach of Indian cricket team, Rahul Dravid was the director of this institution. Dravid created a competitive environment within the institution by putting emphasis on cricket coach qualifications and fitness levels of the young players.
Conclusion
India national cricket team coaches have helped this cricket crazy nation put a mark on the cricketing map. Former India cricket team coaches have brought glory and joy for the spectators by winning the most coveted prizes of world cricket. The current India cricket team coach Rahul Dravid and his supporting staff are working hard to provide the best coaching facilities for the Indian cricket team. Hopefully the team would be fully prepared and game ready for the upcoming 2024 T20 Cricket World Cup.
