Before the 1990s, India’s senior men’s team was accompanied by ad hoc managers on a tour-by-tour basis. The Indian Cricket Coach List began to take shape when Bishan Singh Bedi was appointed in 1990, marking the transition to having a full-time coach accompany the team permanently. However, Bedi’s tenure was relatively short, as he led the side for just two years.
| No. | Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 Oct 2026 | India vs West Indies, 5th T20I | No result — rain |
| 2 | 14 Oct 2026 | India vs West Indies, 4th T20I | West Indies won by 24 runs |
| 3 | 11 Oct 2026 | India vs West Indies, 3rd T20I | India won by 14 runs |
| 4 | 9 Oct 2026 | India vs West Indies, 2nd T20I | West Indies won by 6 wickets |
| 5 | 6 Oct 2026 | India vs West Indies, 1st T20I | India won by 8 wickets |
| 6 | 3 Oct 2026 | India vs West Indies, 3rd ODI | West Indies won by 5 wickets |
| 7 | 3 Oct 2026 | India vs Pakistan, Asian Games T20I final | India won by 19 runs |
| 8 | 1 Oct 2026 | India vs Sri Lanka, Asian Games T20I semifinal | India won by 124 runs |
| 9 | 30 Sep 2026 | India vs West Indies, 2nd ODI | India won by 8 wickets |
| 10 | 28 Sep 2026 | India vs Afghanistan, Asian Games T20I quarter-final | Match abandoned |
Kapil Dev (1999-2000)
Kapil Dev was the first of India’s full-time coaches and a man who commanded respect from across the globe for his ability to get the best out of his players.
He led the side during a turbulent period, which began with Test whitewashes in Australia and South Africa and ended with India failing to reach the knockout stage of major ICC tournaments. His tenure was also marred by match-fixing allegations, with the former captain himself coming under scrutiny for his actions during a ODI match against South Africa at home in 1999.
Prior to 1990, the Indian cricket team was accompanied by ad hoc team managers who managed travel arrangements, performed administrative duties and were responsible for preparing the side for international matches. Bishan Singh Bedi’s appointment in 1990 marked the transition from managers to having a dedicated coach. Bedi was succeeded by Abbas Ali Baig, who travelled with the team in 1991-92.
India’s most successful coach by far was Gary Kirsten, who took the side to the coveted World Cup title in 2011. Kirsten oversaw an era of stability for the national side and is credited with bringing out the best out of young talent emerging from the IPL and age-group formats.
Lal Bahadur (1996-1997)
Gautam Gambhir is an Indian cricket coach and former batsman. He was a left-handed opening batsman who played domestic cricket for Delhi and captained Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League. He made his Test debut in 2003 and played a total of 77 Test matches for India.
He also played six ODIs and was a member of the winning India team in both the 2007 World Twenty20 and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. Gambhir was awarded the Arjuna Award, India’s second highest sporting award in 2008. In 2009, he was briefly ranked as the number one ODI batsman by the ICC before losing his ranking when India stopped playing ODIs.
He is also a highly respected coach and has mentored the Indian Under-19 team since 2024. He was named the coach of India’s ODI squad for the 2019 ICC World Cup. He has led the Indian Under-19 team to two ICC Trophy titles and four Asia Cup titles.
Wadekar (1992-1994)
Until the 1990s, Indian teams were accompanied by ad hoc team managers who would travel with them on tour and sort out the logistics. Bishan Singh Bedi’s appointment in 1990 marked the first time that a dedicated coach came into being for the senior men’s side.
He forged an excellent working relationship with captain Mohammad Azharuddin, and the pair led India to 14 Test victories during this period including a 3-0 whitewash of a strong England team. He also guided the team to victory in several limited-overs tournaments such as the Hero Cup.
India struggled abroad, though, and a poor show at the 1992 World Cup left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans. Things improved with the addition of Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid to the squad.
The 1996 ICC Champions Trophy was another turning point in Indian cricket. It was here that the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble began to shine, and India’s spin-trio of Bedi, Rajesh Chauhan and Venkatapathy Raju became renowned for their exploits on Indian pitches.
Gaekwad (1999-2000)
During his first stint as India coach, Gaekwad had to contend with the Sachin Tendulkar era and also a string of losses. He was in charge of India when they lost a Test series against England and also suffered an ignominious 8-0 reversal across the Australia tour. He was brought back in a similar capacity later, taking over in the middle of the match-fixing scandal and to help guide the team through an arduous period.
Gaekwad was one of the first coaches to have a hands-on approach to the game and his methods gelled well with MS Dhoni. He took the team to the final of the ICC Knockout Trophy and made some key acquisitions that boosted the squad.
Bishan Singh Bedi’s appointment in 1990 signalled the start of a dedicated full-time coach for the national side. Previously, the Indian teams would be accompanied by managers who would travel with the players and handle the logistics on a tour-wise basis. Bedi was followed by Abbas Ali Baig, who accompanied the side to Australia in 1991-92. Lalchand Rajput, who played left-arm spin for the country, also acted as a manager for the Indian team for a short spell in 2007.
Wright (2001-2005)
Former New Zealand captain John Wright was the first full-time coach India had, and his tenure was among the most successful. He partnered with Sourav Ganguly to steer the team out of its darkest phase. He helped the team win a Test series against Australia at home, and drew with them away, and reached a World Cup final in 2003.
Wright stayed with the national team until 2005, when he was replaced by Greg Chappell. He had overseen the Indian side’s best-ever period in international cricket, but their form dipped in the following years.
With the coaching role becoming more specialised, India started using coaches who specialized in batting, bowling and fielding. These coaches worked under the overall guidance of a head coach. Before the 1990s, teams toured overseas accompanied by ad hoc team managers, but this changed after Bishan Singh Bedi took charge.
Chappell (2005-2007)
After John Wright left India in 2005, the BCCI set about finding a new coach for the national team. They shortlisted five candidates – Dav Whatmore, Mohinder Amarnath, Graham Ford, Desmond Haynes and Tom Moody – but the man who got the job was an Australian, Greg Chappell.
Chappell was known for his strict coaching methods and had a reputation for picking up players quickly. He infused structure and discipline into the Indian team, transforming them into a potent force. However, his tenure was marred by controversy.
A major row erupted when he insisted that Shoaib Akhtar’s bowling action was not as effective as it appeared. The row lasted for months and impacted the performance of the team.
Virender Sehwag was one of the many cricketers to speak against Chappell. Sehwag said that he felt that Chappell was using the divide and rule policy. This meant that he kept certain players out of the team and favoured others. It is no surprise that this led to the rift between Ganguly and Chappell.
Kumble (2011-present)
Anil Kumble is one of the greatest spin bowlers that India has ever produced. During his 18-year international career he took 619 wickets in Test cricket and 337 in ODIs. Kumble was an integral part of the spin revolution that was ushered in by Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan in the 1990s and he helped revive slow bowling as a dominant attacking option for India.
He was a fearsome competitor on the field, but an even fiercer coach off it. He had a reputation for ruthlessly driving the players hard and demanding complete discipline. He often referred to himself as the ‘bull’ of the team, and he would not hesitate to get his players fired for not meeting expectations.
Bedi’s appointment marked the transition from India having ad-hoc managers on a tour-by-tour basis, to employing full-time coaches. After his stint as the manager, Bedi was succeeded by Abbas Ali Baig, who accompanied the team to Australia in 1991-92.
After a disappointing run at the 2015 World Cup, India parted ways with Duncan Fletcher and appointed Ravi Shastri as his replacement. He inherited a team that had suffered series defeats in England and Australia but guided the side to a resurgence in 2016. The Indian Cricket Coach List highlights Shastri’s contribution to the team before he left the role following India’s exit from the Champions Trophy.
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