Last Updated: June 3, 2026 10:06 AM
BCCI just appointed a new spin bowling coach. His name is Sairaj Bahutule. He is a former Indian leg spinner. He played cricket for India back in the day. Not many people remember him honestly. But he had a decent cricket career.
Played 10 international matches for India. 2 Tests and 8 ODIs total. That’s not a huge number of caps. But he made his opportunities count reasonably well.
Bahutule played as a leg spinner basically. That’s the type of bowling he specializes in. He bowled wrist spin for India. Took wickets whenever he got chances. His international career wasn’t long though. But he did represent his country.
That’s always an honour for any player. Now he’s back in Indian cricket. But this time as a coach not a player.
His Domestic Cricket and Coaching Background
In domestic cricket Bahutule was absolutely brilliant. He took 630 First Class wickets. That’s a massive number honestly. Shows his quality as a spinner consistently. 197 List A wickets too and he scored 7649 runs. So he could bat as well. A multi-skilled cricketer, which is basically rare.
He coached many state teams over time. Vidarbha, Kerala, Gujarat and Bengal teams. All of them had him as head coach. That shows his experience with different setups. IPL cricket also gave him a platform.
He worked with the Rajasthan Royals before. Then, the Punjab Kings hired him recently. In IPL 2026 he was the PBKS spin coach. So he has modern T20 coaching experience.
Why BCCI Chose Bahutule for This Role
In the 2022 U19 World Cup team Bahutule was the bowling coach. India won that tournament which was huge. He contributed to the youth development programme. That caught BCCI’s attention clearly. Gautam Gambhir is the new head coach. Gambhir probably wanted experienced spin coaching. Bahutule fits that requirement perfectly.
India A team also had its coaching input. The National Cricket Academy used him. So he’s worked at multiple levels. Junior cricket, domestic, IPL and international. That’s wide experience basically.
He understands the player development pipeline. The Afghanistan series is coming up soon. One Test and three ODIs starting. India needs good spin bowling in those matches.
Bahutule called this appointment an honour. He said it with genuine emotion apparently. Happy to return to Indian cricket again. This time contributing as a coach basically. Gautam Gambhir’s coaching staff is taking shape.
The spin bowling department needed strengthening badly. Bahutule brings expertise and credibility. Many senior players have already been selected. A few new players will debut too.
The schedule is really packed honestly. Afghanistan, Ireland and England tours are coming. Good timing for the new spin coach appointment.
Bahutule can prepare strategies before the series. His experience matters at this level. Expect Indian spinners to improve their quality. That’s what this appointment signals basically.
