The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the appointment of Sairaj Bahutule as the spin bowling coach for the senior men’s team. A former India international and a long-time domestic figure, Bahutule brings a deep understanding of spin bowling gained through years both on the field and on the coaching circuit. Most recently, he was part of the Punjab Kings setup during the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League, and over time he has built a reputation for helping develop spin-bowling talent across domestic competitions and franchise cricket.
Bahutule’s playing career at the international level included two Tests and eight ODI appearances for India. He also enjoyed an accomplished first-class record stretching close to two decades, scoring 6,176 runs and taking 630 wickets—numbers that underline his all-round value. Speaking after the BCCI announcement, Bahutule described the role as a significant milestone, saying it was an immense honour to represent India as a player and that having the chance to serve Indian cricket again from a coaching position feels particularly special.
“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,” Bahutule said in an official statement released by the board. He added that he is looking forward to working closely with the players and supporting the team’s pursuit of excellence across formats.
Since hanging up his playing boots, Bahutule has continued to earn recognition as one of the more respected coaches in Indian cricket. His coaching work has taken him through domestic cricket, pathway programmes and international roles. He has previously worked as head coach for teams including Vidarbha, Kerala, Gujarat and Bengal. In franchise cricket, he has served as a specialist spin-bowling coach with Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings, strengthening his background in the T20 ecosystem as well.
He has also been a key figure in India’s talent development pipeline. Bahutule was the bowling coach for India’s ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup-winning side in 2022, and he was part of the coaching group for the 2024 edition of the tournament. Beyond that, he has worked extensively with India A and with the senior men’s team in specialist bowling-coach assignments, and he spent a significant period—between 2021 and 2024—within the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy, which is now known as the Centre of Excellence.
Bahutule’s transition into the national set-up has already begun. He has linked up with the team in Mullanpur in advance of the upcoming one-off Test against Afghanistan, which starts on Saturday, June 6. India’s Test squad held its first practice session on Tuesday, and Bahutule now joins the existing backroom team led by head coach Gautam Gambhir. The support staff also includes Sitanshu Kotak as batting coach, Ryan ten Doeschate as assistant coach, and Morne Morkel as the bowling coach, with Bahutule taking charge of the spin-bowling responsibilities.
India’s Test squad: Shubman Gill (Captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Dhruv Jurel (wicket-keeper).
