Ahead of the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan, this is how prepared and what shape the Indian men’s cricket team find themselves in after having engaged former leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule in their set-up as the team’s new spin-bowling coach. India will also have their Test debut for the year with this match in New Chandigarh from June 6 to June 10.
The 53-year-old Bahutule has vast experience both in coaching and playing at the international level. He will also supervise India’s spin-bowling developments in white-ball cricket along with his work with the Test squad. The appointment also completes the support structure going into the World Cup as there was no dedicated spin-bowling coach in the set-up till now.
In IPL 2026, the former India cricketer was last associated with Punjab Kings in the capacity of spin-bowling coach. He has been a successful coach domestically with teams like Kerala and Bengal over the years. Between 2018 and 2021, he was with the Rajasthan Royals think tank before moving to the National Cricket Academy. Bahutule served under former head coach Rahul Dravid and worked with India A teams at the NCA helping during national assignments.
Bahutule limited international playing career but made a big impact in domestic cricket. He played 2 Test matches and 8 One-Day Internationals for India from 1997 to 2003. But it was really on the domestic circuit that he shone. He took 630 wickets from 188 first-class games and another 197 in List A cricket over a career spanning almost two decades.
Bahutule will now be a part of a coaching setup alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir. On the support side, where as many as 5 new faces have been appointed (of which one is an old hand), include batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, fast-bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T Dilip and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
India will be hoping to start their Test season on the right note. The team is placed at the sixth spot in World Test Championship standings, with four wins against four losses and one draw. A 3-0 series defeat by New Zealand in home conditions in late 2024 and a 2-0 loss to South Africa in 2025 also sparked worry on the home front.
Bahutule’s first major challenge should be any expertise that could help the Indian side regather some momentum and bridge a slumped place in the World Test Championship cycle when the Afghanistan home Test comes quickly after IPL 2026.
