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Former India leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule has joined the men's national team as spin-bowling coach ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh, scheduled from June 6 to 10, according to ESPNcricinfo.
The 53-year-old will oversee India's spin department across formats. Bahutule joins the Indian camp after a stint with Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, where he served as the franchise's spin-bowling coach. Over the years, the former Indian cricketer has built extensive coaching experience, having worked with domestic sides Kerala and Bengal, as well as spending time with Rajasthan Royals (RR) between 2018 and 2021. He later joined the National Cricket Academy (NCA), where he worked with India A teams and was part of the support staff during several senior men's assignments under former head coach Rahul Dravid. Bahutule returned to Rajasthan for the IPL 2025 season before taking up his latest role with Punjab Kings. As a player, Bahutule represented India between 1997 and 2003, featuring in two Test matches and eight One-Day Internationals. Despite limited opportunities at the international level, he enjoyed a highly successful domestic career spanning nearly two decades. The leg-spinner claimed 630 wickets in 188 first-class matches and picked up 197 wickets in 143 List A games. In his new role, Bahutule will work alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, fast-bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T Dilip and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. India is currently sixth in the ongoing World Test Championship cycle with four wins, four defeats and one draw from nine matches. The Asian Giants have also endured a difficult run at home, losing two of their last three Test series, including a 3-0 defeat to New Zealand in 2024 and a 2-0 loss to South Africa in 2025. The Afghanistan Test will mark India's first red-ball assignment of the year, coming less than a week after the conclusion of IPL 2026. India will face Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series from June 14 to June 20, following a one-off Test starting from June 6. Shubman Gill is set to lead the side in both formats, with KL Rahul appointed vice-captain in the longest format, replacing Rishabh Pant. Meanwhile, Shreyas Iyer has been named vice-captain for the 50-over format. India's Test squad: Shubman Gill (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul (vice-captain), Rishabh Pant (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Devdutt Padikkal, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Harsh Dubey and Gurnoor Brar. India ODI squad: Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey. (ANI)
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