"I'm open to it"- Sourav Ganguly puts his hands up for Indian coaching, shares his plans in politics

Sourav Ganguly was previously the President of the Cricket Association of Bengal and the BCCI.

Former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly has shown interest in possibly coaching the national team, but ruled out any political ambitions ahead of the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections. The 53-year-old former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president shared his views during a recent podcast interview with PTI in Kolkata.

At the moment, Gautam Gambhir is the head coach of the Indian Cricket Team. Gambhir had taken over from Rahul Dravid, whose tenure ended with India’s ICC T20 World Cup win in 2024. India suffered embarrassing losses in ODIs to Sri Lanka and in tests to New Zealand and Australia, leading to the team’s failure to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final.

However, Gambhir proved his mettle as he guided India to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 title and is currently overseeing the Indian team for the five-match test series in England.

“I’m just 50…” – Sourav Ganguly open to becoming India head coach in the future

The appointment of Gautam Gambhir as India’s head coach may be in doubt because Sourav Ganguly, the former president of the BCCI, has openly expressed interest in the role. Ganguly had previously declined the demanding position because of other commitments, but he now appears ready to take on the responsibility.

Ganguly, who is regarded as one of India’s most accomplished captains and sharpest cricketing minds, contributes a lot of experience. In the past, he has led the BCCI, been the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), coached in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), and advised and mentored the Delhi Capitals (DC) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“I never really thought about it because I got into different roles. I finished (competitive cricket) in 2013 and then became Board (BCCI) President,” Ganguly told PTI.

When asked about coaching the Indian team, Ganguly responded, “We’ll see what the future holds. I’m just 50 (53), so let’s see what happens. I’m open to it. We’ll see where it goes.”

Ganguly also talked about his inclination towards politics and said, “I am not interested.”

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