Gautam Gambhir has begun his tenure as India's new head coach, and the Men in Blue has started preparing for the three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. The T20I squad arrived in Colombo on Monday, and a day later, the team hit the ground for their first training session under Gambhir's guidance.

The new head coach led the charge in the training session and was seen carrying a bag with the Kolkata Knight Riders logo. Gambhir is a key figure in KKR's rich history in IPL as he led them to two IPL titles as captain and then returned as a mentor this year and guided them to their third trophy. His stint as a mentor at KKR turned out to be an audition for him for a big job in Indian cricket. He automatically became the frontrunner to take over the coaching when Rahul Dravid announced that he wouldn't continue the job.

The broadcasters for the India tour of Sri Lanka shared a video of Team India's arrival in a training session on social media in which the fans noted Gambhir with the KKR bag, which showed his special bond with the IPL franchise.

Earlier, Gambhir also left an emotional message for the KKR fans in the two-minute, 30-second-long video where he shared his bond with the franchise.

“I smile when you smile. I cry when you cry. I win when you win. I lose, when you lose. I dream when you dream. I achieve when you achieve. I believe with you and I become with you I am you Kolkata, I'm just one of you. I know your struggles and I know where it hurts. The rejections have crushed me but like you, I wake up embracing hope. I get beaten every day but like you, I'm yet to be defeated. They tell me to be popular, I tell them to be a winner. I am you, Kolkata I'm just one of you. This Kolkata air talks to me. The sounds, the streets here, the traffic jams. They all convey how you feel. I hear what you say, but I know what you mean. I know you're emotional. So am I. I know you're demanding. So am I. Kolkata, we are a bond. We are a story. We are a team,” said Gambhir in his video message.

Meanwhile, the new era under Gambhir's coaching will begin in Indian cricket with a three-match T20I series which will begin on July 27 with the first T20I, followed by matches on July 28 and 30. The team will then travel to Colombo to play three ODI scheduled for August 2, 4 and 7 where Rohit Sharma will lead the side and senior star Virat Kohli also joining him in the team.