As Indian cricket prepares to enter a new chapter, newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir and his wife, Natasha, visited Mumbai’s revered Siddhivinayak Temple on Thursday to seek blessings. With Team India set to take on England in an away series, Gambhir’s spiritual visit has gone viral on social media, symbolizing both reflection and hope as he begins a critical journey at the helm of the Test team.

This tour represents a significant turning point for Indian cricket, with two of its greatest stalwarts — Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — having retired from Test cricket in recent times. Their departure opens the door to a new era under the leadership of a younger generation of players. Gambhir, who is famous for his aggressive approach and no-nonsense attitude, will be guiding a new-look team constructed around youthful energy and ambition.

The new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle is starting with a high-profile series against England, and Gambhir will be in the limelight from the very beginning. It is not merely a matter of fieldcraft — it is an indicator of a bigger change in Indian cricket's leadership approach and vision for the long term of the red-ball game.

Mumbai, Maharashtra: Indian cricket team coach and former BJP MP Gautam Gambhir visits Siddhivinayak Temple with his wife to offer prayers and seek blessings from Lord Ganesha pic.twitter.com/8xQCd79JpB

— IANS (@ians_india) May 15, 2025

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New Era with Gambhir's Leadership

With Kohli and Rohit's exit, the future of the team will almost surely fall on the shoulders of Shubman Gill, who is expected to step in as India's next Test captain. I expect Rishabh Pant, who has come back from injury and is playing really well, will be the vice-captain. It seems fitting that the Gill-Pant pairing represents a new and more aggressive path that appears to be taking shape with Gambhir's captaincy.

The head coach may have more discretion about team selection than previous head coaches on all formats, but especially in Tests. If selector Ajit Agarkar continues to jive with Gambhir's thinking, Indian cricket is on the verge of a coach-centric model for the first time since today's players have fanciful memories. Consequently, Gambhir is at the point of India's Test future — a captain tasked with establishing both the post-Kohli and post-Rohit era and with achieving results in the hardest form of cricket.