NEWS
Follow UsOn July 22 (Monday), India’s new head coach, Gautam Gambhir, and BCCI chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar have confirmed the support staff that will be travelling with the team on the tour of Sri Lanka. India are scheduled to play three T20Is, starting on July 27, and as many ODIs in Sri Lanka.
Former India all-rounder Abhishek Nayar and former Netherlands player Ryan ten Doeschete have been confirmed as assistant coaches. T Dilip, who stood out as a fielding coach during Rahul Dravid's tenure, has been retained. Meanwhile, Sairaj Bahutule will be travelling with the team as interim bowling coach for the Sri Lanka tour.
The two didn’t provide any update on who will replace Vikram Rathour as batting coach but did say that the entire support staff will only be announced after the Sri Lanka tour. The final game of this tour will be played on August 7 and India are not scheduled to play any international game before September 19 (first Test against Bangladesh), giving them more than a month to confirm the entire support staff.
"I've worked closely with Abhishek [Nayar] and Ryan [ten Doeschete]. They will be the assistant coaches. Hopefully, they'll have a very successful tenure," Gambhir spoke ahead of the tour to Sri Lanka.
Nayar and ten Doeschete, who were part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024-winning Kolkata Knight Riders set-up, were recommended by Gambhir. Ten Doeschete will directly join the team in Sri Lanka. It’s also being reported that former South African pacer Morne Morkel will join the set-up as the new bowling coach after the Sri Lanka tour.
Morkel worked closely with Gambhir during his two-year stint at Lucknow Super Giants. Morkel, who resides in Sydney, Australia with his family, is believed to have gone back to his home country, South Africa, to attend to his ill father in Pretoria.
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