The fans were surprised to see Gary Kirsten inNamibia'sdugout during their 2026 T20 World Cup game againstIndia. The former India head coach was all smiles after the Men in Blue lost the wicket of Sanju Samson in the powerplay. Kirsten is a well-known figure in India. He is India's only ODI World Cup-winning head coach. Kirsten-coached India defeated Sri Lanka in the final of the 2011 ODI WC to lift the trophy. MS Dhoni was the captain of that team. Kirsten joined India's coaching staff as the chief coach in 2008. His memorable stint ended after the ODI WC final.
Kirsten and Dhoni shared a great bond. In December 2010, the former India captain hailed Kirsten and said that he is the best thing to happen to the Indian team. Apart from winning the 2011 WC, India also excelled in Tests during Kirsten's stint. In 2009, India reached the top spot in the ICC rankings for the first time. Kirsten left big shoes to fill and India struggled in overseas Tests for the next nine years. Here, we know more about Kirsten -
Gary Kirsten had a long career for South Africa and he played 101 Tests and 185 ODIs. The left-handed batter scored 7289 runs in red-ball cricket. He hit 21 centuries and 34 fifties. He scored 6798 runs in 185 ODIs. His tally includes 13 centuries and 45 fifties. Overall, he piled up 16670 runs in 221 first-class matches and 9586 runs in 294 List A games. He captained SA in only one Test match.
Gary Kirsten has ample coaching experience in IPL too. Photo: BCCI
4 years after his retirement, Kirsten joined India as their head coach. He replaced Greg Chappell, whose forgettable stint ended after the ICC event. A month before the 2011 WC, it was reported that Kirsten would not continue as the head coach after the WC. Two months after India's title win, he joined the South Africa cricket team. His stint at SA ended after two years. SA became the number 1-ranked Test team during his stint.
Kirsten joined Delhi Capitals (then known as Delhi Daredevils) as their head coach after the end of his stint as SA's head coach. Kirsten had a forgettable stint as Delhi's coach and they finished in the bottom two in both seasons (2014 and 2015). He was replaced by Rahul Dravid.
Kirsten made his return to IPL as Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) batting coach. He was elevated to the post of mentor and head coach before IPL 2019. He was sacked before IPL 2020.
In 2018, Kirsten was the BCCI's first choice for the position of the Women's Team's head coach. But he couldn't take up the job due to his IPL commitments. RCB sacked him just 8 months later.
Gary Kirsten coached Gujarat Titans for 3 years. Photo: GT
He returned to IPL as Gujarat Titans' (GT) mentor in 2022, which was their debut season. Kirsten-coached GT won the title in their debut season. They suffered a heartbreaking last-ball defeat against Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2023 final. Kirsten's stint as GT's coach ended after IPL 2024.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
