NEW DELHI: A packed cricket calendar across formats awaits former opener and left-hand batter Gautam Gambhir, who was named as the new head coach of the India men's team on Tuesday.
Gambhir took over from Rahul Dravid and is tasked with building on India's recent T20 World Cup triumph.
Here's a look at what awaits Gambhir and his team in the three formats.
Tests:
After the home series against Bangladesh (2 Tests) and New Zealand (3 Tests) respectively, India will embark on a tough tour Down Under, where they'll play five Tests, and the series could be pivotal in deciding their fortunes in the ICC World Test Championship cycle.
The team will be hoping for another series win after two fruitful tours of Australia since 2018, but Pat Cummins' squad has shown to be a pain in their side lately. This WTC cycle, the series is probably going to be Gambhir's toughest test ever.
ODIs:
Gambhir's tenure will officially get underway with the away series against Sri Lanka, that has 3 T20Is and 3 ODIs.
India will then host England for a three-match ODI series in February next year before the Champions Trophy.
India have not won a title in this format since winning the Champions Trophy in 2013, and Gambhir would want to change that in the upcoming year.
T20Is:
After winning the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA, the country is celebrating, but with three big retirement announcements by Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja, the team is undergoing a transitional period.
Even though the next tournament isn't until two years from now, Gambhir will need to manage the side through this critical transitional period. The former India opener will have to choose the new skipper in addition to replacing three important players in the starting line-up during T20I series against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, South Africa and England.
With so many players coming through the IPL, Gambhir has a lot on his plate, according to ANI. Using his resources to the fullest might mean the difference between disappointment and successfully defending the title at home in 2027.
