List of Indian Cricket Team Coaches (1971–2025) – Records, Achievements & ICC Trophies

Coaching plays an important role in the success of the team. Players are selected to be involved in the action on the ground, but a coach is someone who is responsible for managing the whole team. That is why a good coach is a need of modern-day cricket.

A coach does not just help the cricketers technically but also helps players to develop skills, guides them to plan for the game, and helps them to stay mentally and physically fit. The Indian cricket team has also been blessed to have good players at the top.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is among the richest sports bodies in the world. So, everyone wants to get involved and be part of the Indian coaching setup. In this article, we will talk about the list of coaches that served the Indian cricket team in men’s cricket.

List of Indian National Cricket Coaches

1. Keki Tarapore (1971)

The first person to serve as Indian head coach officially was Keki Tarapore. He had 40 first-class games and one test under his kitty. Officially, he was named as the head coach in 1971, but before that, he was with the team as manager on several important assignments. Under his stint, India became a tough touring side overseas.

2. Hemu Adhikari (1971 – 1974)

Hemu Adhikari was named as head coach in 1971, and he served until 1974. He helped India win test series in West Indies and England in 1971. Indian batting legend Sunil Gavaskar made his debut under him, and he helped him in his initial days. Adhikari played 12 tests and 152 first-class matches in his playing days.

3. Gulabrai Ramchand (1975)

Gulabrai Ramchand was India’s former all-rounder, who represented the country in 33 tests. He also led India in the longest format and was the captain when India won their maiden win against Australia in tests. With his success as captain, he was named the head coach in 1975 and was with the team for the inaugural ODI World Cup in 1975. Under his coaching, India took their initial steps in the ODI format.

4. Datta Gaekwad (1978)

Datta Gaekwad was the next person to coach India at the highest level. The former captain was active as a player between 1952 and 1961 and featured in 11 tests for India. His calm stature was very important for India during the period when there were multiple captaincy changes in 1978.

5. Salim Durrani (1980–81)

Salim Durrani is next on the list, who coached India between 1980 and 1981. He was a match-winning all-rounder in his day, who played 29 tests between 1960 and 1973. Not many know that he was born in Afghanistan. Durrani was a key figure in the coaching domain, and being a former batter himself, he focused on working on the striking ability to match the demand of world cricket.

6. Ashok Mankad (1982)

Ashok Mankad played cricket for India between 1969 and 1978, featuring in one ODI and 22 tests. Four years after his retirement, he became India’s head coach in 1982. Though he served for a short period of time, his role was very essential, as he prepared the Indian ODI side and players for the 1983 ODI World Cup, which India won.

7. PR Man Singh (1983-87)

Everyone knows about Kapil Dev and his men who won the 1983 ODI World Cup. But not many know that PR Man Singh was the one that played a key role in managing the team to achieve the rare success. Man Singh was with the Indian men’s team from 1983 to 1987 and helped them make history, which is still among the glorious moments in Indian cricket.

8. Chandu Borde (1988)

Former batting star Chandu Borde took command as Indian head coach in 1988. A calm and composed batter on the field, he played various roles with the Indian team. He was part of 55 tests between 1959 and 1968 and then served as head coach. Under his coaching, India won the 1988 Asia Cup. Later, he also served as chief selection committee on two different occasions.

9. Bishan Singh Bedi (1990-91)

One of India’s finest spinners, Bishan Singh Bedi, was magical with the ball. He finished with 273 international wickets for India between 1966 and 1976. As a player, he was part of the Indian side that was proving itself to be competitive in all conditions. As a head coach, he played a key role and gave many memorable moments during his stint between 1990 and 1991.

10. Abbas Ali Baig (1991-92)

Abbas Ali Baig had a quite successful career as a batter. He was India’s youngest centurion on debut in an away test and played ten tests in total. Baig took the charger in 1991 and was active until 1992. His focus was to groom young talents and give them maximum exposure.

11. Ajit Wadekar (1992-96)

Ajit Wadekar was a key figure in Indian cricket history. He is among those few persons to be a player, captain, coach, and selector in Indian cricket. He was active as a cricketer between 1966 and 1974, helping India win a test series against England and West Indies as captain. He served as head coach between 1992 and 1996 and had a pretty decent stint. Under him, India made it to the semis of 1996 and was very strong at home.

12. Sandeep Patil (1996)

Former Indian star Sandeep Patil, who was part of India’s 1983 ODI World Cup success, played 45 ODIs and 29 Tests for the country. He was an explosive batter in the middle order, and his coaching was no different. He was the head coach in 1996, prioritizing increasing the fitness standard of the team. Later, Sandeep also coached Kenya when they made it to the semis of the 2003 World Cup.

13. Madan Lal (1996-97)

India’s 1983 World Cup hero Madan Lal had a good impact on the Indian side as an all-rounder. He was active until 1987 and then became the head coach in 1996. Though he didn’t coach for long, he had an impact on the team. Under his coach, India won the Titan Cup in 1996.

14. Anshuman Gaekwad (1997-99)

Former opener Anshuman Gaekwad had 40 tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1974 and 1987. He is among those who served as head coach on two different occasions: in 1997-99 and then in 2000. Under his coaching, India won the Asia Cup 1998 and groomed the young talent.

15. Kapil Dev (1999-2000)

1983 World Cup-winning captain and probably India’s best all-rounder, Kapil Dev, also served as India’s head coach between 1999 and 2000. He had a legendary cricketing career, but as a coach, it was a total failure. Kapil Dev was the first iconic cricketer to serve as Indian head coach, but his stint was cut short in 2000 after a spot-fixing controversy, which later was proved false.

16. John Wright (2000-2005)

Former Kiwi star John Wright became the first foreign coach for the Indian team. India had an amazing time under him between 2000 and 2005. They recorded the famous NatWest Series win in 2000, runners-up in the 2003 World Cup, and a test win in Australia. He made very good bonds with big Indian names, and they flourished even more under him.

17. Greg Chappell (2005-07)

Former Australian star Greg Chappell took the command in 2005. He had a different style for coaching and groomed young players like MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina. Though many seniors didn’t have a great bond with him, and he was criticized many times. Under him, India won the 2006 ODI series in Pakistan, but the horrible 2007 World Cup exit from the first round saw the termination of his tenure.

ODI Record

• Total Matches: 62
• Wins: 32
• Losses: 27
• Win %: ~51.6%
• Home Record:
  • Matches: 28
  • Wins: 19
  • Losses: 9
  • Strong success rate in India.
• Away Record:
  • Matches: 34
  • Wins: 13
  • Losses: 21
  • Poor performance overseas.

Notable Highlights

• India won tri-series tournaments at home, showing strength in familiar conditions.
• Promoted young talents like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Irfan Pathan into key roles.
• Advocated a more aggressive fitness and fielding-driven approach.

18. Ravi Shastri (2007)

After terminating Greg Chappell, India needed someone as head coach. That is when former all-rounder Ravi Shastri came into the picture. He worked as interim head coach in 2007, where he was with the team for a few series. This was the first time that he became the head coach of India.

19. Lalchand Rajput (2007-08)

Not many forget the T20 World Cup 2007 win under MS Dhoni. That was the beginning of a new era for the Indian cricket team, and it was coached by Lalchand Rajput. He played a crucial role in developing young talents and giving them ample opportunities to showcase their skills, which benefitted the Indian cricket team.

20. Gary Kirsten (2008-2011)

Former South African opener Gary Kirsten was the third foreign coach for India. He is still one of the most celebrated coaches that India has had. His coaching style was loved by the senior players, and his bond with them helped India perform pretty well. The 2011 ODI World Cup win was the prime example of this. Under him, India also became the No. 1 test side and had success in ODIs.

21. Duncan Fletcher (2011-2015)

Duncan Fletcher was another success coach that India had. He took the charge after India won the 2011 World Cup. He took them to another success when India lifted the Champions Trophy title in 2013. Though India didn’t enjoy much success overseas in tests, but India did well in white-ball, finishing the 2015 World Cup in the semis.

22. Ravi Shastri (2014 – 2015)

Ravi Shastri came for his second stint as head coach between 2014 and 2015. A charismatic personality, who loved to be on the face of the opposition, formed a great duo with Virat Kohli as captain. Under him, Virat became the all-format captain, and it was the start of India’s domination in tests.

23. Sanjay Bangar (2016)

After Shastri, Sanjay Bangar served as interim head coach for India in 2016. Before that, he had already been with the team as a batting coach since 2014. He also served as the coach of India A before that. However, he was made the batting coach again when Anil Kumble took charge in 2016.

24. Anil Kumble (2016-17)

Another successful cricketer that became the head coach of India was Anil Kumble, who was appointed in 2016. Though he didn’t have a great bond with Virat Kohli, who was the all-format captain during his stint. Eventually, he resigned just after one year. India reached the final of the Champions Trophy 2017 under him.

Test Matches

• Matches: 17
• Wins: 12
• Draws: 4
• Losses: 1
• Win %: 70.59% – exceptional success rate
• Unbeaten streak: 19-match unbeaten run in home Tests
• Series Wins:
  • vs West Indies (away) – 2-0
  • vs New Zealand (home) – 3-0
  • vs England (home) – 4-0
  • vs Australia (home) – 2-1

ODIs

• Matches: 13
• Wins: 8
• Losses: 5
• Win %: 61.54% – solid, though less dominant than Tests

T20 Internationals

• Matches: 5
• Wins: 2
• Losses: 2
• No Result: 1
• Win %: 40% – least successful format for Kumble

Notable Achievements

• Took India to the Final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy (lost to Pakistan).
• Elevated India to No. 1 ICC Test ranking and sustained it.
• Regarded for tactical acumen and discipline-driven coaching style.
• Created a fearless Test unit, dominant at home and competitive abroad.

25. Sanjay Bangar (2017)

After the resignation of Anil Kumble, India needed someone as head coach. Hence, during that duration, Sanjay Bangar served as interim coach for India’s men’s team. He was with the team as interim coach for the 2017 tour of West Indies.

26. Ravi Shastri (2017-2021)

Ravi Shastri had his third stint as head coach between 2017 and 2021. Under his coaching India was a force to reckon with. It included India’s test success in SENA countries, including two test series wins in Australia. India also reached the semifinal of the 2019 ODI World Cup and were finalists in WTC 2021. His stint ended as India suffered a group exit from the T20 World Cup 2021.

Overall Record:

• Tests: Played 17, Won 12, Lost 1, Drawn 4.

Key Stats:

• Test Winning %: 70.58%, an exceptional record in his short tenure.
• India reached the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.

27. Rahul Dravid (2021-2024)

Rahul Dravid had a successful time with the team both as a player and as a coach. He joined his duties in 2021. Dravid already coached India’s U19 previously, and they made it to the finals of 2016 and 2018, winning the 2018 one. He brought his calmness into the dressing room. Though his coaching started with some controversy over sacking Virat Kohli as captain. But it ended pretty well. Under his coaching, India were the finalists in the 2023 World Cup and WTC 2023 and later went on to win the T20 World Cup 2024.

Overall Record:

• Tests: Played 22, Won 13, Lost 6, Drawn 3.
• ODIs: Played 47, Won 32, Lost 13, Tied 1, No Result 1.
• T20Is: Played 50, Won 36, Lost 11, Tied 2, No Result 1.

Key Stats:

• T20I Winning %: 72.00%.
• Led India to the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup victory.
• Led India to the finals of the 2023 World Test Championship and the 2023 ODI World Cup.

28. Gautam Gambhir (2024-Present)

Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir took charge after Rahul Dravid in 2024. Gambhir got recognition when Kolkata Knight Riders won the IPL 2024 with him as mentor. He carried his aggressive style of play into his coaching and took complete charge of the team. Though India had horrible numbers in tests under him, with only one series win against Bangladesh. But India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 under his coaching and has done well in T20Is as well.

Overall Record (as India Head Coach)

• Matches: 13
• Wins: 4
• Losses: 8
• Draw: 1

Test Matches

• Total: 11 Tests
• Wins: 3
• Losses: 7
• Draws: 1
• Test Win %: 27.27% (considered low by Indian standards)
• Key Series:
  • Lost all matches in a home series vs New Zealand
  • Lost 3 matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
  • Lost the 1st Test vs England on away tour

T20 Internationals (T20Is)

• Strong record with a high win percentage
• Regarded as tactically sharp in the shortest format

IPL Mentorship Career

• Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) – Served as mentor and helped shape a young squad
• Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – Returned as mentor, played a big role in team strategies
• 2024 IPL Champion with KKR – Credited for aggressive mindset, tactical fielding setups, and batting order experiments