5 coaches who have turned things around for Indian sports

#3 Gary Kirsten, Cricket

After a first round exit in 2007, Gary Kirsten helped India lift World Cup in 2011

An accomplished batsman who was recognized over the world for his grit and discipline when on the pitch, Gary Kirsten brought the same qualities to his coaching when he took over the reins of the Indian cricket team as it tried to put behind the traumatic Greg Chappell era. He made the Indians believe in themselves and play as a unit after the time with Chappell had left a divided dressing room. And the victories kept on coming.

Kirsten, combining with skipper MS Dhoni, oversaw a highly successful period of Indian cricket which saw them climb to number 1 ranking in Tests apart from lifting the Cricket World Cup in 2011. How important Kirsten was to Indian cricket was understood once he left the job after which the team struggled outside the subcontinent. MS Dhoni called Gary Kirsten “the best thing to happen to Indian cricket.”