Former great captain Sourav Ganguly has stated that, should the chance present itself, he would be willing to coach Team India in the future. As a player, captain, and administrator, the left-handed hitter has contributed to Indian cricket; perhaps the last thing left to do for a full career is coaching.
Sourav Ganguly has advised the Delhi Capitals in the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL), however he has never been referred to as the “head coach” since he retired as a player. After being named president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), he was forced to resign from the position.
He returned to the Delhi Capitals (DC) after his three-year tenure as head coach, where he currently serves as Director of Cricket, managing the team’s several franchisees around the world.
Sourav Ganguly said he would consider returning to Indian cricket as head coach in the future, depending on the conditions.
“I never really thought about it (coaching the Indian team) because I got into different roles. I finished in 2013 and then became Board (BCCI) President. We’ll see what the future holds. I’m just 50, so let’s see what happens. I’m open to it. We’ll see where it goes,” Ganguly told PTI in an interview.
Sourav Ganguly had previously stated in 2019 that he was interested in taking over as head coach of Team India, but he believed that the timing was off due to his other obligations.
“Currently, I’m associated with too many things — IPL, CAB, TV commentary. Let me complete this. But I will definitely put my hat at some stage. Provided I get selected. But definitely, I’m interested. Not now but in the future,” the former captain had said in 2019 (via Firstpost).
Gautam Gambhir’s contract as India’s current head coach expires in 2027, when he will manage the country at the ODI World Cup in South Africa. Previously, coaches were only given two-year contracts; however, the BCCI chose to forego split coaching in favor of a long-term plan for this cycle.
“This England series is going to be a big one for him” – Sourav Ganguly on Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir
Sourav Ganguly also reversed his decision on Gautam Gambhir after his first year as head coach. After the 2024 T20 World Cup, the former opener took over for Rahul Dravid, and his stint has been eventful thus far.
Gambhir’s struggles, particularly his red-ball missteps against Australia and New Zealand, which prevented India from making it to the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) Final, were highlighted by the former skipper.
“He is doing a good job. He started a little slow, losing to Australia and New Zealand. But he picked up with the Champions Trophy and this England series is going to be a big one for him.”
Sourav Ganguly
“I have not seen him that close. But he is very passionate. I have not seen the strategy closely because I have never worked with him. I have played with him and he was a great guy when we played together. He had a lot of respect for me and the seniors.”
Sourav Ganguly
So far, Team India has produced a promising first impression in England. Ben Stokes asked Shubman Gill to bat first, and the new-look team responded to the initial worries by scoring 471 runs.
