Punjab ropes in Amit Uniyal as head coach ahead of 2026-27 domestic season
New Delhi, August 8
Punjab have overhauled their coaching set-up ahead of the 2026-27 domestic season, appointing former all-rounder Amit Uniyal as head coach in place of Sandeep Sharma.
TP Singh has been named batting coach, Harmeet Singh bowling coach and Manish Sharma fielding coach. They replace Uday Kaul, Gagandeep Singh and Sandeep Sanwal, respectively, Cricinfo reported.
Uniyal, a former left-arm seam-bowling allrounder for Punjab, played 29 first-class matches, taking 91 wickets at an average of 29.94. He also featured in 46 List A matches and played two of his four T20S for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2009.
Since 2017, Uniyal has been involved in various coaching and selection roles with Chandigarh. He served as their assistant coach in the 2020-21 season and was chairman of selectors last season.
Uniyal's appointment makes him Punjab's fourth head coach in as many seasons. Since Aavishkar Salvi's departure following 2023-24, both Wasim Jaffer and Sandeep Sharma have lasted just one season each. "Since everyone wants to play in the IPL nowadays, they focus more on T20 cricket. And it's the same everywhere, be it Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh or Mumbai. But we have the potential, we have the talent, all we need is to play as a unit," Uniyal told Cricinfo.
"We want to do better in red-ball cricket this time, and for that, you need bowlers who can take 20 wickets. So we will work towards that," he added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good to see Amit Uniyal getting this opportunity. He's worked hard with Chandigarh and earned his stripes. But honestly, the real issue is our players running after IPL contracts and ignoring red-ball cricket. Uniyal's comment about taking 20 wickets is spot on!
Punjab cricket has so much talent but they never perform as a team. Wasim Jaffer and Sandeep Sharma both failed - hopefully Uniyal can bring some continuity. The T20 obsession is killing our first-class cricket. Need to respect the longer format again! 🏏
Uniyal's experience with Chandigarh is valuable, but I'm a bit skeptical. Punjab needs more than just coaching changes - the system itself needs a revamp. State associations need to create better pathways, especially for red-ball cricket. Let's see what he brings to the table.
Yes! At last someone who understands the importance of red-ball cricket. Uniyal's right - every team needs bowlers who can take 20 wickets. We have so much pace talent in Punjab but they're all busy with T20 leagues. Hope he can bring back the pride in domestic cricket. 💪
Honestly, Punjab Cricket Association needs to stop shuffling coaches every year. How can any coach build a team in just one season? Sandeep Sharma was a legend as a player, but coaching is different. Let Uniyal have at least 2-3 seasons before judging him.
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