Vinay Kumar appointed Karnataka senior men's head coach
Bengaluru, August 13
Former India fast bowler Vinay Kumar has been appointed as the head coach of the Karnataka senior men's cricket team for the 2026-27 domestic season, the Karnataka State Cricket Association announced on Thursday.
The appointment of the coaches for the Karnataka state men's and women's teams for the 2026-27 season are based on the recommendations of the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC).
Notably, Vinay is the leading wicket-taker among seamers in Ranji Trophy history with 442 wickets. After making his international debut for India, Vinay captained Karnataka to a double-treble, with the team winning the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup between 2013 and 2015.
He represented India in one Test and 31 ODIs and was also part of IPL title-winning campaigns with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and Mumbai Indians in 2015 and 2017.
Former Karnataka batter Deepak Chougule has been named the fielding coach of the senior men's team.
In the women's setup, S N Ameet has been appointed head coach of both the senior women's and Under-23 women's teams. Rakshitha Krishnappa will serve as the senior women's fielding coach.
For the men's teams, Ganesh Satish has been appointed head coach of the Under-23 side, with Rajshekar Shanbal as fielding coach. Kunal Kapoor will take charge of the Under-19 team, assisted by bowling coach Raajoo Bhatkal.
Adithya B Sagar has been named head coach of the Under-16 men's team, with C B Karthik as assistant coach, while M Guruprasad will coach the Under-14 men's team, with K V Bharat as his assistant.
In the women's age-group teams, Mukunda G has been appointed head coach of the Under-19 side, with Roopa B N as assistant coach. M Guruprasad will also serve as head coach of the Under-15 women's team, with Chandu V as assistant coach.
For the Under-23 women's team, Ameet will continue as head coach, with Srivalli appointed as fielding coach.
The appointments complete Karnataka's coaching structure across senior and age-group men's and women's teams for the upcoming domestic season.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great to see former players giving back to state cricket. Vinay Kumar's journey from a domestic workhorse to an IPL winner is inspiring. Karnataka cricket is in safe hands. Just hope he focuses on nurturing young fast bowlers!
Solid choice by KSCA. Vinay Kumar has that winning pedigree, having captained Karnataka to a historic treble. But coaching is a different ball game altogether. Let's see how he adapts to the new role and whether he can bring out the best in the current crop.
The women's appointments look promising too! Really happy to see proper coaching structure being set up for the women's teams. Investing in the U-23 and U-19 setups is the need of the hour. All the best to Ameet and the entire support staff! 🙌
Honestly, I was hoping for someone with more recent coaching experience at the highest level. Vinay was a great servant of the game, but can he handle the pressure of coaching a team that's been struggling to qualify for knockouts lately? Time will tell, but I wish him all the best.
Bringing back local heroes like Vinay Kumar and Ganesh Satish is a great move. They understand the Karnataka cricketing culture better than any outsider. The future looks bright for Karnataka cricket! Also good to see the women's team getting equal attention.
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