With Gautam Gambhir succeeding Rahul Dravid as India's new head coach, legendary Australian cricketer Brett Lee is convinced that the future of the Indian cricket team is in safe hands. Gambhir was unveiled as India's head coach by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday. India's head coach across all formats, the two-time World Cup winner will kickstart his second innings at the Indian camp with the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka.

Interestingly, Gambhir has never officially coached a team in competitive cricket. After calling time on his playing career, Gambhir took up mentorship of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Gambhir was also the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their title-winning 2024 season. The former India opener guided KKR to two IPL trophies (2012 and 2014) in his glittering playing career.

Gambhir's former teammate at KKR, Australia's Lee, has welcomed the appointment of the ex-India opener as the new head coach of the T20I World Champions. Lee also mentioned Gambhir's contribution as the KKR mentor in the 2024 edition of the cash-rich league. Gambhir became a frontrunner to replace Dravid after Shreyas Iyer and Co. lifted the famous trophy last season. Lee also reserved special praise for Dravid, who guided India to T20 World Cup glory in his final assignment.

'India is in safe hands with Gautam Gambhir'

“He's (Gautam Gambhir) done a terrific job every time he's had an opportunity. The Indian Premier League title with KKR is the best example. He's always been there, always at the top of his game. He finds a way to unite his players and graft his team together. He builds a solid structure. He has been a terrific player, and his aggression and winning attitude will help India. He has shone internationally as a player. India is in safe hands with Gautam Gambhir as coach. Congratulations to Rahul for finishing on a high,” Lee told The Times of India.

Gambhir's first assignment as head coach

Earlier, Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that the six-match white-ball series between India and host Sri Lanka has been delayed by one day. India will arrive in Sri Lanka on July 22 for the T20I and One Day International (ODI) series. All three T20I matches will be contested at Pallekele. The Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will host the entire ODI series between the two teams in August.