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File photo of Gautam Gambhir© AFP
Several news reports on Thursday claimed that the BCCI has added current India A coach Sitanshu Kotak as the new batting coach of the senior Indian cricket team. The former Saurashtra batter’s reported appointment happens ahead of the upcoming limited-overs series against England and the Champions Trophy next month after assistant coach Abhishek Nayar‘s performance came under scrutiny during the tour of Australia. The 52-year-old Kotak is a longtime staff of the National Cricket Academy as its batting coach. He has been on tours with both the senior and A teams during the past few years.
A report in Times of India claimed that it was at the insistence of head coach Gautam Gambhir that Kotak was added among the support staff.
“Coach Gambhir had asked for a batting coach during the review meeting. Discussions were ongoing since then and now Kotak will be added to the support staff,” the report quoted a senior BCCI official as saying.
“Most of our batsmen [batters], including the seniors, have struggled badly in the last two series. There’s clearly a need to strengthen the support staff of the Indian men’s cricket team from the batting point of view.”
The Indian batters were found wanting on the technical front in Australia with Virat Kohli‘s outside the off stump troubles becoming a recurring problem. The Indians lost the five-match series 1-3.
Kotak was considered a dogged left-hander during his in domestic cricket, where he amassed over 8,000 first-class runs, including 15 hundreds, in 130 appearances.
He was particularly known for two strokes — the cover drive when the ball used to be pitched up and the flick when it was pitched on pads.
It is understood that this could be a one off appointment as away series against England is still some time away in June.
The home engagement against the same side starts on January 22 and features five T20 Internationals and three ODIs.
“We have an India A shadow tour and Kotak normally handles the A team. He is a qualified Level 3 coach and has assisted VVS Laxman in the past and was also the head coach when India toured Ireland last year. Since he is NCA staff, he can be put anywhere,” news agency PTI quoted a source as saying.
With PTI inputs
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