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Sairaj Bahutule, 53, has been brought on board as India's spin bowling coach ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, which runs from June 6 to 10.
Bahutule steps into a support staff that has no incumbent spin-bowling specialist. He joins head coach Gautam Gambhir alongside Sitanshu Kotak, who is the batting coach, Morne Morkel, the fast bowling coach, T Dilip as fielding coach, and Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach.
India arrive at this fixture having had a difficult run in Test cricket of late. They currently sit sixth in the World Test Championship standings, with four wins, four defeats, and one draw from their matches so far. The results at home have been particularly hard to digest.
New Zealand came to India in late 2024 and won the series 3-0, and South Africa followed that up with a 2-0 victory in November 2025.
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Although Bahutule's international playing career was brief, he was a regular face in the domestic circuit. He made his international debut in 1997 and played his last game for the country in 2003, featuring in just two Tests and eight ODIs across that period.
At the international level, opportunities were limited, but on the domestic circuit, he was a consistent and highly productive performer over nearly two decades.
Across 188 first-class matches, he took 630 wickets, and in 143 List A games, he claimed a further 197 wickets with his leg spin. He also has 6,176 runs in first-class cricket.
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After hanging up his boots, Bahutule moved into coaching. He worked with the Kerala and Bengal men's teams in 2014 and 2015, respectively. After that, he joined the Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals and spent three years between 2018 and 2021.
He then joined the BCCI's National Cricket Academy, now known as the Centre of Excellence, and remained there until 2024.
During that stint, he was the bowling coach for India's Under-19 team that won the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2022. He was also part of the coaching setup in the 2024 edition of the U-19 World Cup. Moreover, during Rahul Dravid's tenure as India head coach, Bahutule took up several India A assignments.
Most recently, he was with Punjab Kings in IPL 2026 as their spin bowling coach. Before this, he had also spent a year with Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025.
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Bahutule steps into a support staff that has no incumbent spin-bowling specialist. He joins head coach Gautam Gambhir alongside Sitanshu Kotak, who is the batting coach, Morne Morkel, the fast bowling coach, T Dilip as fielding coach, and Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach.
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India arrive at this fixture having had a difficult run in Test cricket of late. They currently sit sixth in the World Test Championship standings, with four wins, four defeats, and one draw from their matches so far. The results at home have been particularly hard to digest.
New Zealand came to India in late 2024 and won the series 3-0, and South Africa followed that up with a 2-0 victory in November 2025.
Add The Sporting News as a preferred news source
Who is Sairaj Bahutule?
Although Bahutule's international playing career was brief, he was a regular face in the domestic circuit. He made his international debut in 1997 and played his last game for the country in 2003, featuring in just two Tests and eight ODIs across that period.
At the international level, opportunities were limited, but on the domestic circuit, he was a consistent and highly productive performer over nearly two decades.
Across 188 first-class matches, he took 630 wickets, and in 143 List A games, he claimed a further 197 wickets with his leg spin. He also has 6,176 runs in first-class cricket.
MORE: Visit Cricket News for all the latest cricket coverage and opinion
Sairaj Bahutule's record as a coach
After hanging up his boots, Bahutule moved into coaching. He worked with the Kerala and Bengal men's teams in 2014 and 2015, respectively. After that, he joined the Indian Premier League side Rajasthan Royals and spent three years between 2018 and 2021.
He then joined the BCCI's National Cricket Academy, now known as the Centre of Excellence, and remained there until 2024.
During that stint, he was the bowling coach for India's Under-19 team that won the ICC Under-19 World Cup in 2022. He was also part of the coaching setup in the 2024 edition of the U-19 World Cup. Moreover, during Rahul Dravid's tenure as India head coach, Bahutule took up several India A assignments.
Most recently, he was with Punjab Kings in IPL 2026 as their spin bowling coach. Before this, he had also spent a year with Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025.
Indian cricket team coaching staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Gautam Gambhir |
| Assistant Coach | Ryan ten Doeschate |
| Batting Coach | Sitanshu Kotak |
| Bowling Coach | Morne Morkel |
| Spin Bowling Coach | Sairaj Bahutule |
| Fielding Coach | T. Dilip |
| Strength & Conditioning Coach | Adrian le Roux |
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