Team India coaching comparison: Who did it better – Gambhir, Dravid or Shastri?

India had relied on foreign coaches from 2000 to 2015 as John Wright, Greg Chappell, Gary Kirsten, and Duncan Fletcher coached the Indian cricket team during this period.

The Men in Blue won the ODI World Cup in 2011 and the 2013 Champions Trophy under foreign coaches. However, after Fletcher parted ways, Ravi Shastri was appointed Director of Cricket for a brief period before Anil Kumble took over as head coach.

Ravi Shastri

Once Kumble's tenure came to an abrupt end, Shastri was appointed as India's head coach.

The former India captain built a strong camaraderie and understanding with then-captain Virat Kohli. The two players gave opportunities to youngsters and also backed the veterans along the way.

During Shastri's tenure as head coach, India won back-to-back series in Australia. The second triumph in 2020-21 was particularly memorable as it was achieved despite several injuries to key players. They also came back remarkably well after being bowled out for just 36 in the first Test in Adelaide. Kohli also left after the first Test due to paternity leave, as Ajinkya Rahane marshalled the troops commendably.

India became a dominant force in overseas conditions during this phase. They achieved their first-ever ODI series win in South Africa in 2018 and also registered T20I series wins in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia. India also won the Asia Cup in 2018, and reached the semi-finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup as well as the final of the inaugural World Test Championship.

For 42 consecutive months between 2016 and 2020, India held the top spot in the ICC rankings for teams in Test cricket. This overlaps with his director and coach roles.

Format	Matches	Wins	Losses	Win Percentage
Tests	43	25	13	58.1%
ODIs	76	51	22	67.1%
T20Is	65	45	18	69.2%

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Rahul Dravid

After Ravi Shastri's contract expired, Dravid took charge in November 2021. Like Shastri and Kohli had forged a great coach-captain bond, the same can be said of Dravid and Rohit Sharma. During the ex-India skipper's tenure, India reached the World Test Championship final in 2023 and the ODI World Cup later that year. However, silverware remained elusive.

Finally, India's 11-year drought for an ICC title ended in 2024 when the Men in Blue lifted the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. While this was Dravid's most significant achievement as head coach, there are other things which need to be celebrated.

Dravid, who previously coached the U-19 Indian team, continued to focus on nurturing young talents and gave opportunities to talented youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, and Sarfaraz Khan. Shubman Gill also excelled as a cricketer under his coaching.

Apart from winning many bilateral series across formats, India emerged victorious in the 2023 Asia Cup, beating Sri Lanka in the final.

Format	Matches	Wins	Losses	Win Percentage
Tests	24	14	7	58.3%
ODIs	56	41	15	73.2%
T20Is	69	48	21	69.6%

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Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir took charge after Dravid's contract ended following the T20 World Cup win in 2024. The former Indian opener's campaign started with a comprehensive 3-0 win in a T20I series against Sri Lanka. However, the Men in Blue lost a subsequent ODI series against the same opposition.

Under Gambhir's leadership, India have opted for split-captaincy. There have been some unexpected retirements of legendary cricketers along the way. While Ravichandran Ashwin retired from all forms of international cricket during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series, Rohit and Kohli stepped away from the red-ball format during IPL 2025. 

The highlight of Gambhir's coaching tenure so far has been India's triumph in the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup this year. Gambhir is yet to lose a T20I series as India's head coach. Gambhir has also given long ropes to some of the youngsters in Indian cricket. The likes of Harshit Rana and Sai Sudharsan have been backed despite producing some insipid performances.

While Gambhir has passed with flying colours as a T20 coach, the same cannot be said about ODIs and Tests. Especially in the longest format, there seems to be a lack of planning and the losses at home against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa last month have put Gambhir's planning about the future of Indian cricket under scrutiny.

Format	Matches	Wins	Losses	Win Percentage
Tests	17	7	8	41%
ODIs	14	9	4	64%
T20Is	22	20	2	91%