Gautam Gambhir finally reveals Jay Shah’s role in making him India head coach
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Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has credited Jay Shah and thanked him for backing him through the tough times since the BGT. On the other hand, he has further credited him for the smooth transition within the Indian team.
India took up the challenge to defend the ICC T20 World Cup title, and Gautam Gambhir, the newly appointed head coach, had started revamping the side with fresh legs after the giants of Indian cricket stepped down just before his tenure began.
However, Gambhir didn't disappoint, at least in the shortest format of the game, as he coached India as one of the greatest teams in T20Is. Under Gambhir's supervision, India retained their position as the No. 1-ranked T20I side and also maintained their undefeated streak in T20I bilaterals. Finally, he coached them to a historic victory in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Gautam Gambhir thanks Jay Shah for support during the lows in his tenure
Gautam Gambhir started his coaching tenure with the Indian team after Rahul Dravid stepped down from the role in 2024. He had the targets set on defending the T20 World Cup, and, in the process, also won the ICC Champions Trophy just within 6 months of his appointment.
However, he has also had several significant lows early on in his career, be it the ODI series loss to Sri Lanka immediately after appointment or the humiliating 3-1 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. A phase came in his career as a coach, during which Indian fans revolted against him after India's heavy defeats against South Africa and New Zealand in Tests and ODIs, respectively.
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"Lastly, I will have to thank Jay Shah. Jay bhai, as I said in yesterday's press conference as well, has backed me through the lows of my tenure. Be it the BGT, the South Africa or the New Zealand series, when you lose, not many call you, but this one man who called every time after a defeat, if not after a win, was Jay Bhai," Gautam Gambhir thanked the former BCCI Secretary for his unwavering support.
Gautam Gambhir was appointed as Team India's head coach despite his inexperience
The Indian head coach, who now has immense experience of national coaching and has bagged two international trophies in his tenure, went on to extend his heartiest gratitude to Jay Shah for having trusted him for such a major role despite his not having coached any team or franchise before that.
"I would like to thank him most importantly for trusting me. When I was offered this position, I could understand that no one would have had so much trust in me, because I was not the head coach of any team until then."
"I had never coached in domestic cricket nor had I been the head coach of a franchise; despite that, they trusted me with this job, where there were so many expectations. I have to give it to him," Gambhir said.
"I have said it before: when these types of people are part of the Indian setup or around Indian cricket, Indian cricket will always be in very safe hands. The people who hold important positions, if they work honestly, then we need not worry."
"The transitions that could take place in 2 years could then take place within a year or even six months. So, I do feel that he should be one of the many who should be credited for this World Cup win," Gambhir continued.
Gautam Gambhir becomes the first coach ever to have won back-to-back ICC tournaments
The Indian head coach went on to be crowned as the first-ever National head coach to have won back-to-back ICC tournaments. He won the last ICC tournament, which is the ICC Champions Trophy, and has now gone on to win the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
Gambhir has proved to be a nemesis for Team India in red-ball cricket, but his white-ball antics have paid off from time to time. His next biggest assignment with the India team might be centred around building a side for the ICC World Cup 2027.
However, India's chances in the WTC 2027 are not over yet, and with many more Test bilaterals to come in the upcoming year, Gautam Gambhir might switch it to his benefit.
ALSO READ: Gautam Gambhir drops big update on India’s 2027 World Cup plans
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