Former India leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule was named the spin-bowling coach of the Indian men’s senior team on Tuesday, taking up the role ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh from June 6 to June 10. The appointment comes through a BCCI announcement, stating that the board is pleased to induct Bahutule as India’s Spin Bowling Coach for the senior men’s side.
Appointment details and new responsibilities
Bahutule steps into the national setup after his stint with Punjab Kings in IPL 2026, where he worked as the franchise’s spin-bowling coach. In his new job, his focus will be to oversee and guide India’s spin-bowling unit across formats.
At 53 years old, he brings a broad coaching background spanning both the domestic circuit and franchise cricket. He previously served as a spin-bowling consultant for India during the home Test series against Australia in 2022-23, working under then head coach Rahul Dravid. Earlier, he was also part of the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, serving as the spin-bowling coach from 2021 to 2024.
His franchise coaching experience includes time with Rajasthan Royals, where he was the spin-bowling coach from 2018 to 2021, and then again in 2025. He has also held head-coach roles with multiple domestic teams, including Bengal, Vidarbha, Kerala and Gujarat.
Playing and coaching background
As a player, Bahutule represented India in two Tests and eight ODIs. He also enjoyed a long first-class career, accumulating 6,176 runs and taking 630 wickets.
India’s current coaching group includes batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, fast-bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T Dilip and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. With Bahutule’s appointment, he will now assume responsibility for the spin-bowling coach’s role within that staff structure.
