Sairaj Bahutule and Munish Bali Appointed as Coaches for India’s Asian Games Teams

By Abhimanyu Bose | Published: 11-Sep-2023 • 12 mins ago

VVS Laxman and Hrishikesh Kanitkar Appointed as Head Coaches

VVS Laxman and Hrishikesh Kanitkar have been appointed as the head coaches for India’s men’s and women’s teams respectively for the upcoming 2023 Asian Games, taking place in Hangzhou, China.

Bowling and Fielding Coaches

Sairaj Bahutule has been appointed as the bowling coach for the men’s team, while Munish Bali will take charge of the fielding. For the women’s team, Rajib Dutta will be the bowling coach and Subhadeep Ghosh will be the fielding coach.

Quarter-Final Entry for Both Teams

• The India men’s and women’s teams will enter the competition at the quarter-final stage.
• The India men’s quarter-final match is scheduled for October 3, with the semi-finals likely on October 5.
• The India women’s team’s quarter-final is scheduled for September 21, with their potential semi-final on September 23.

Home Ground for the Games

The games will be played at the Zhejiang University of Technology’s (ZJUT) Pingfeng campus cricket ground.

Previous Coaching Experience

VVS Laxman previously stepped in as the head coach for men’s tours when Rahul Dravid was rested, such as the recent T20I series in Ireland.

Hrishikesh Kanitkar oversaw the women’s team for the home T20I series against Australia and the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

Team Updates

• In the men’s squad, there are doubts about Tilak Varma’s availability as he may be asked to stay on standby for the World Cup.
• The women’s team will be led by Smriti Mandhana initially, and if they make it to the semi-finals, Harmanpreet Kaur will return to lead in the final or the third-place playoff.

Coach Appointments

The BCCI’s cricket advisory committee conducted interviews for the women’s head coach position, but there has been no update on any appointment yet.

About the Author

Abhimanyu Bose is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo.