Mumbai: Former India leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule was Tuesday appointed as the spin bowling coach of the men’s national team, having worked in the India U-19 and India A set-up earlier.
Bahutule, who represented India in two Tests and eight ODIs, was seen in the Punjab Kings jersey in the recently concluded IPL.
“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Sairaj Bahutule as the Spin Bowling Coach of the Indian Cricket Team (Senior Men),” the BCCI said in a statement.
A distinguished performer on the domestic circuit, the 53-year-old claimed 630 wickets and tallied 6,176 runs in first-class cricket that spanned nearly two decades.
Following his retirement, Bahutule built an impressive coaching resume, serving as head coach of Vidarbha, Kerala, Gujarat and Bengal. He also worked as spin-bowling coach with IPL franchises Rajasthan Royals and, most recently Punjab Kings and was associated with the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy, now known as the Centre of Excellence, between 2021 and 2024.
The former Mumbai stalwart also played a key role in India’s player development pathway. He served as bowling coach of India’s victorious ICC Under-19 World Cup team in 2022 and was part of the support staff during the 2024 edition of the tournament.
Bahutule has additionally worked with India A and the senior men’s team as a specialist bowling coach on multiple assignments.
“It is a tremendous honour to be appointed as the Spin Bowling Coach of the Indian Men’s Cricket Team. Representing India as a player was a matter of immense pride, and the opportunity to contribute to Indian cricket once again in a coaching capacity is deeply special,” Bahutule said in the statement issued by the Board.
“I look forward to working with the players and supporting the team’s pursuit of excellence across formats,” he added.
His first assignment with the Indian team will be the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Mullanpur beginning June 6. He would be working with rookies like Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey over the course of the Test match.
Orissa POST – Odisha’s No.1 English Daily