Sairaj Bahutule appointed India's spin-bowling coach for Afghanistan Test
What's the story
Former Indian leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule has been appointed as the spin-bowling coach for the men's national cricket team. The 53-year-old will be working with India's spinners ahead of their one-off Test match against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, starting on June 6. His last assignment was with Punjab Kings (PBKS) as their spin-bowling coach in IPL 2026.
Coaching history
Coaching stints of Bahutule
Before his stint with PBKS, Bahutule had coached the Kerala and Bengal men's teams. He was also a part of Rajasthan Royals's support staff from 2018 to 2021 before joining the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The former leg-spinner supported India A assignments and a few series under head coach Rahul Dravid before returning for another one-year stint with RR in IPL 2025.
Career highlights
His playing career
Bahutule had a stop-and-start international career, debuting for India in 1997 and playing his last game in 2003. He played only two Tests and eight ODIs during this time. However, he was prolific in domestic cricket, taking 630 wickets in 188 first-class matches and 197 wickets in 143 List A games with his leg-spin over a span of around two decades.
Team dynamics
Bahutule will work with Gambhir
Bahutule will join an India support staff that currently doesn't have a spin-bowling coach. He will be working alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, fast bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T Dilip and assistant coach Ryan 10 Doeschate. This new addition to the team comes as India looks to improve its performance in the World Test Championship (WTC).