From IPL To Indian Cricket Team, BCCI Ropes In New Spin Bowling Coach Ahead Of Afghanistan Series

Former India leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule has been roped in by the BCCI as the men's national team's spin-bowling coach ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, starting on Saturday. Bahutule's coaching journey has spanned domestic, pathway and international cricket, including tenures as head coach of Vidarbha, Kerala, Gujarat and Bengal. He has also served as a spin-bowling coach with IPL franchises Rajasthan Royals and, most recently, Punjab Kings in IPL 2026. Bahutule was the bowling coach of India's ICC Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup-winning team in 2022 and was also part of the coaching staff for the 2024 edition of the tournament.

He has worked extensively with India A and the senior men's team as a specialist bowling coach on multiple assignments and was a key member of the coaching setup at the BCCI's National Cricket Academy (now Centre of Excellence) from 2021 to 2024.

"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. I look forward to working with the players and supporting the team's pursuit of excellence across formats," Bahutule said on his appointment.

Over the years, the former Indian cricketer has built extensive coaching experience, having worked with domestic sides Kerala and Bengal, as well as spending time with Rajasthan Royals (RR) between 2018 and 2021.

He later joined the National Cricket Academy (NCA), where he worked with India A teams and was part of the support staff during several senior men's assignments under former head coach Rahul Dravid. Bahutule returned to Rajasthan for the IPL 2025 season before taking up his latest role with Punjab Kings.

As a player, Bahutule represented India between 1997 and 2003, featuring in two Test matches and eight One-Day Internationals. Despite limited opportunities at the international level, he enjoyed a highly successful domestic career spanning nearly two decades. The leg-spinner claimed 630 wickets in 188 first-class matches and picked up 197 wickets in 143 List A games.

In his new role, Bahutule will work alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, fast-bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T Dilip and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. India are currently sixth in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle, with four wins, four defeats and one draw from nine matches.

The Asian giants have also endured a difficult run at home, losing two of their last three Test series, including a 3-0 defeat to New Zealand in 2024 and a 2-0 loss to South Africa in 2025.

The Afghanistan Test will mark India's first red-ball assignment of the year, coming less than a week after the conclusion of IPL 2026. India will face Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series from June 14 to 20, following the one-off Test starting on June 6.

Shubman Gill is set to lead the side in both formats, with KL Rahul appointed vice-captain in the longest format, replacing Rishabh Pant. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain for the 50-over format.

India's Test squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Rishabh Pant (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar.

India ODI squad: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Gautam Gambhir India vs Afghanistan 2026 BCCI Sairaj Bahutule India Cricket Team Afghanistan Cricket