Wasim Jaffer in negotiations with Punjab team; Bhave to coach Odisha and Yohannan for Andhra

There will inevitably be changes as the new domestic season draws near, with Punjab, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy winners, experiencing one of the biggest ones. There is talk that his former Mumbai teammate, Wasim Jaffer, the top run scorer in Ranji Trophy history, will take his position. There is a lot of talk about Punjab’s new head coach since coach Avishkar Salvi left the North Zone team.

A representative of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) has revealed that talks with 46-year-old Wasim Jaffer are in progress and that a decision will be made in the coming days.

There was conjecture that Jaffer would take over as coach following a recent story indicating that the Punjab Kings were looking to replace Trevor Bayliss with an Indian coach. Jaffer is actually a candidate to lead the Punjab state squad as coach. Avishkar Salvi, meanwhile, has become the bowling coach for the Indian women’s squad.

Tinu Yohannan has landed a coaching role with the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), while Jaffer is in talks with the PCA. The former bowler for India has been named the Andhra team’s coach for the forthcoming campaign. Yohannan, 45, has joined the Andhra team as the local coach Nirmal Kumar’s replacement. He was previously the five-year Kerala coach and a talent scout for the Delhi Capitals.

After one season, Sulakshan Kulkarni, who had a falling out with both the association and the captain, terminated his two-year contract with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). Kulkarni is now the Maharashtra team’s coach. Kulkarni replaces Santosh Jedhe in the role.

In lieu of Kulkarni, Lakshmipathy Balaji, who oversaw bowling for Tamil Nadu the previous season, might take over as head coach. Former national selector and Maharashtra player Surendra Bhave has been named the team’s season-long coach for Odisha. He takes Dinesh Mongia’s place. Another East Zone team, Tripura, is in the process of hiring a professional coach.

Rahul Tripathi, who played for Goa during the previous season, has since returned to Maharashtra, his native state. For the forthcoming season, the Maharashtra squad has also added Rajneesh Gurbani, a professional player from Vidarbha. With the help of Gurbani, who was instrumental in Vidarbha’s 2018 Ranji Trophy victory, the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) has granted him a No Objection Certificate (NOC). Ruturaj Gaikwad has been named the captain of the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) for all three formats this season.

Also Read: Wasim Jaffer is scheduled to be named the Punjab Kings head coach

Harpreet Singh Bhatia, who played for Chhattisgarh last season, has returned to MP, whom he had previously represented, while Subhranshu Senapati, who led Odisha and represented Chennai Super Kings, has left Odisha to join Madhya Pradesh as a guest player.