Jay Shah sends farewell message to Dravid as Gambhir appointed head coach

New Delhi: Secretary of BCCI Jay Shah sent a farewell message to former India head coach Rahul Dravid, thanking the former India captain for a highly successful tenure with the Men in Blue, which included guiding the Rohit Sharma-led side to victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados.

Soon after thanking Dravid for his successful stint, Shah announced that Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team.

Ahead of the appointment of the new coach, Shah took the time to acknowledge the past and thanked outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid through a post from his account.

“I extend my sincere thanks and gratitude to Mr. Rahul Dravid, whose highly successful tenure as Head Coach has come to an end. Under his leadership, #TeamIndia has emerged as a dominant force across all formats, including being crowned champions of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” read Jay Shah’s post on X, formerly Twitter.

The former India captain has been at the helm of the ‘Men in Blue’ for the past three years and has led the team to the T20 World Cup, Asia Cup, 2023 ODI World Cup final and 2023 World Test Championship.

“His strategic acumen, constant efforts to nurture talent and exemplary leadership have instilled a culture of excellence within the team and this is also the legacy he leaves behind. The Indian dressing room today is a cohesive unit that stands united in the face of challenges while rejoicing in each other’s success,” the BCCI secretary added.

Soon after posting ‘The Wall’s’ farewell message, Shah went on to confirm after weeks of speculation that Gautam Gambhir would be the new head coach.

“It is with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr. @GautamGambhir as the new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Modern cricket has evolved rapidly and Gautam has witnessed this changing landscape up close. Having endured hard work and excelled in various roles throughout his career, I am confident that Gautam is the right person to take Indian cricket forward,” the announcement on X said.