Top 5 Controversial Indian Cricket Coaches

Coaching the Indian Team is the most high-profile job in the world of cricket. And, so whenever the post gets vacant, professionals from all around the world, line up to coach the most popular cricket team in the world.

But, as is the case with Indian cricketers, the perks associated with coaching the national team come at the cost of intense scrutiny from both media as well as frenetic Indian fans.

Over the years, we have seen many Indian coaches (Indian/International), court a lot of controversies during their stint.

On that note, here’s a look at Top 5 Controversial Indian Cricket Coaches:

Kapil Dev

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain and the greatest match-winner that Indian cricket had produced at the time,  the legendary Kapil Dev was appointed national sides’ head coach in September 1999 following the appointment of Sachin Tendulkar as captain.

Dev’s stint started on a good note as India won at home against New Zealand but it soon went downhill for the champion cricketer as India endured a nightmarish tour of Australia.

The Tendulkar-led unit was whitewashed 0-3 in the Test series and managed a solitary win in the tri-series that followed.

The disastrous Australian tour was followed by a humiliating Test series defeat on home soil against South Africa.

It kept getting worse for Kapil Dev as he landed in a match-fixing controversy after his former colleague Manoj Prabhakar accused him of trying to bribe the all-rounder during an ODI tournament in Sri Lanka in 1994.

A distraught and emotional Dev lambasted Prabhakar in the press conference but amid relentless pressure from politicians, the champion cricketer resigned as head coach in September 2000.

Two months later, the CBI exonerated Kapil Dev of all the charges.

India’s performance under Kapil Dev was underwhelming, to say the least- 5 defeats in 8 Tests, 16 defeats in 25 ODIs- and Dev was often criticized for his timid approach.

Years later, Sachin Tendulkar, in his autobiography ‘Playing It My Way’, revealed that he was left disappointed with Kapil Dev- the coach- due to reluctance in getting involved in devising strategies.

“During my second stint as captain, we had Kapil Dev as our coach. He is one of the finest cricketers to have played for India and one of the best all-rounders of all time, and I had great expectations of him in Australia,” wrote Tendulkar.

“I have always maintained that the coach’s job is an important one, for he is in a position to play a key role in formulating team strategy. Who better than Kapil to come up with options for me during a tough tour of Australia?” he added.

“However, his method of involvement and his thought process was limited to leaving the running of the team to the captain, and hence he did not involve himself in strategic discussions that would help us on the field,” Tendulkar wrote.

Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble was appointed as head coach of the Indian Cricket Team for a period of 12 months in 2016.

And, we, as Indian fans thought that the aggressiveness of both Virat and Kumble will lead Indian cricket to greater heights.

And, during the next 12 months, the Indian team did achieve a lot of success as they whitewashed New Zealand (3-0), hammered England (4-0) before edging out the Aussies (2-1) in a closely fought Test series on home soil.

However, after India’s defeat against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final, Indian cricket suffered a huge jolt when Anil Kumble resigned from the post, stating that his relationship with the captain had become untenable.

Kumble further stated that the captain had reservations about his coaching methods and so it was only fitting that he handed over the responsibility to whomsoever CAC or the BCCI deemed fit.

“In light of these ‘reservations, I believe it is best I hand over this responsibility to whomever the CAC and BCCI deem fit,” said Kumble.

Following Kumble’s departure, many theories emerged like for example, Virat wasn’t happy with the selection of Kuldeep Yadav for the series-decider against Australia or that the team members weren’t happy with Kumble’s style of coaching.

However, nothing was testified as neither Virat nor Kumble nor any team member spoke anything about what happened inside the dressing room.

Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri was picked as Indian head coach following the ouster of Anil Kumble and the former all-rounder faced the brunt of the fans, who were clearly outraged with the saga that unfolded between Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble.

The fact that Shastri hadn’t even applied for the job during the initial deadline and the rules were bent in order to allow him to file his candidature, infuriated the fans even more.

A significant section of the fans shrugged off Shastri as Virat’s ‘Yes Man’ and the fact that he made some outrageous statements like when he said that the current Indian team is the best Test team ever despite defeats in South Africa and England didn’t help his cause either.

Shastri’s inability to zero in on a potent No.4 batsman led to more criticism from fans after India’s defeat against New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semi-final enraged the folklore even more.

And, the fact that he got an extension and a pay hike only added fuel to fire.

That said, Shastri has had a pretty impressive record as head coach despite all those setbacks. He is the first Indian coach to win a Test series in Australia and his reputation increased manifolds in the eyes of the Indian fans after the manner in which he marshaled his troops following the shambolic 36 all-out at the Adelaide Oval.

Shastri’s mantra to the India team following that Adelaide Test- “Wear 36 all-out as a badge of honor”– has become a part of folklore now after the Ajinkya Rahane-led unit scripted an unprecedented 2-1 series win Down Under.

From Shastri ‘ The Yes Man’ to Shastri ‘ The Man Manager par Excellence’, the former all-rounder has truly come a long way within a span of 4 years since his controversial appointment.

Ramesh Powar

Former Indian spinner Ramesh Powar’s first stint as the head coach of the women’s team ended in a controversial manner.

Powar, who was elected as India’s head coach following the controversial exit of Tushar Arothe in August 2018, led the Women in Blue to the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.

However, his decision to bench Mithali Raj from the semi-final against England proved to be his undoing.

India lost the semi-final, post which Raj launched a stunning attack on the former Indian international, alleging that Powar was trying to ‘destroy her career’

“For the first time in a 20 year long career, I felt deflated, depressed and let down. I am forced to think if my services to my country are of any value to a few people in power who are out to destroy me and break my confidence,” Mithali Raj wrote in a letter to BCCI CEO Rahul Johri and Cricket Operations GM Saba Karim.

“For instance, walking off if I am sitting anywhere around, watching in the nets when others bat but choosing to walk away when I am batting in nets, if I try to go up to him to talk to start looking into his phone and keep walking,” she wrote.

“It was embarrassing and very evident to everyone that I was being humiliated. Yet I never lost my cool,” she added.

Powar was replaced by WV Raman as head coach.

However, as luck would have it, last month Powar was reinstated as head coach following the unceremoniously sacking of Raman.

Greg Chappell

Of course, who else than Greg Chappell!

Indian cricket witnessed one of the worst periods in its history during the 2-year reign of the former Australian captain between 2005-07.

The foundation of Chappell being appointed as India head coach was laid in 2003 when then captain Sourav Ganguly traveled to Australia before the national sides’ tour Down Under.

Ganguly trained under the guidance of Chappell and he benefited from it big time as he smashed a brilliant 144 in the opening Test at the Gabba to lay the foundation of what was a memorable series for India.

John Wright’s tenure as a head coach came to end after the home series against Pakistan in April 2005 and by then Ganguly had made up his mind that he wanted Chappell as India’s new coach.

Ganguly got what he wanted and Greg Chappell was appointed head coach in July 2005.

Little that Ganguly knew that two months later, Chappell would oust him not only from his post as captain but also from the team.

It all happened during the tour of Zimbabwe in August. Ganguly, who had missed the Sri Lankan your in July- Chappell’s first assignment- due to an over-rate ban, was asked to drop himself from the playing 11 when he had approached Chappell to seek his views on whom he should pick for the Test match: Yuvraj or Kaif?

Chappell, in a blunt reply, said “Play both”. A shocked and disappointed Ganguly admitted the same after he smashed a hundred in the Test against Zimbabwe.

The hundred could not save Ganguly as Chappell had already made up his mind that it was time for the ‘Prince of Kolkata’ to go.

Chappell soon sent a mail to the BCCI top brass, stating that Ganguly was ‘mentally unfit’ to lead the team. The mail got leaked in the media, causing a huge furor.

Ganguly was soon stripped from the leadership role besides being sacked from the team.

A nationwide protest soon ensued as enraged fans took to the streets to voice their support for Ganguly. Chappell was met with boos from the Eden Gardens crowd when India played an ODI against South Africa later that year.

But, Chappell couldn’t care less as he courted another controversy by showing the middle finger to the crowd.

What followed during the course of the next 1.5 years was systematic sidelining of Indian seniors and an atmosphere in the dressing room where no one was certain of a place in the side.

Chappell enjoyed considerable success during the first phase of his stint as India emerged as one of the leading chasing sides in the world.

However, once the team started losing, his polarising tactics soon became the biggest talking point. VVS Laxman, in his autobiography, revealed that Chappell had suggested that he would get dropped after the veteran batsman refused to move to the opening spot.

As the Indian team kept losing one series after another in 2006, the criticism of Chappell intensified. Even the Indian parliament got involved as some MP’s lambasted the former Australian.

Not the one to take a step back, Chappell courted another controversy when he made an insensitive remark against the Indian MP’s.

“Can’t stop them from making comments. That’s what they are paid to do in the Parliament” said Chappell which caused a massive furor in the Lok Sabha.

Chappell’s tenure eventually came to an end following Team India’s disastrous exit from the 2007 World Cup.

But, the controversies surrounding him did not end there. Years later, several Indian cricketers came out in the open to lambast the former Australian cricketer.

The most damning remark came from Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who, in his autobiography, claimed that ‘Guru Greg’ had offered him the captain’s post months before the 2007 World Cup.

A shocked Tendulkar had even approached the BCCI top-brass to request them to not send Chappell with the team, which eventually did not happen.

Also Read: Five Most Hated Cricket Commentators