Sairaj Bahutule gets appointed as the spin bowling coach for India

After the announcement made by BCCI on Tuesday, the former Indian cricketer Sairaj Bahutule was appointed as the spin bowling coach for Team India. The development was brought into action ahead of the upcoming Test and three ODI series against Afghanistan.

Speaking to News18 Bahutule said, “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."

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Who is Sairaj Bahutule?

Sairaj Bahutule, a former courageous Indian cricketer at the international and domestic level, is abundantly experienced as both a player and a coach. He has also a strong reputation for fostering and upgrading spin-bowling talent all around the domestic and franchise cricket over the years.

He has an appearance for India in two Tests and eight ODIs, throughout a span of twenty years in his first-class cricket career. He had scored 6176 runs and picked up 630 wickets in first-class cricket by his rich performance in domestic cricket making him the finest all-rounders of his time.

Apart from his playing career, Bahutule has also established himself as one of the most respected coaches in Indian cricket spanning his journey through domestic and international cricket. He has also been the head coach of Vidarbha, Kerala, Gujarat and Bengal, and also serving as a spin-bowling coach with IPL franchises Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings.

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Sairaj's international contribution

He has contributed his coaching skills for the development of India’s Under-19 players, leading them to achieve victory in ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2022, and was a part of the coaching staff for the 2024 edition of the tournament. He was also been the specialist bowling coach with India A and the senior men’s team. In terms of coaching setup, he was the vital pick for BCCI's National Cricket Academy (now Centre of Excellence) from 2021 to 2024.

For now, BCCI will be looking forward to his contribution and skills for the development of team India for the upcoming series against Afghanistan in the recent year.