The DDCA has re-signed former Delhi batsman KP Bhaskar as head coach of the senior team for the 2019-20 season. Bhaskar, a veteran of 95 first-class matches, helmed debutants Uttarakhand to the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals in the previous season. Rajkumar Sharma has been named the bowling coach. Sharma, an off-spinning allrounder, played nine first-class matches for Delhi but is famously remembered for being Virat Kohli’s childhood coach.
Bhaskar had left Delhi in controversial circumstances after then captain Gautam Gambhir criticised him for “creating an atmosphere of uncertainty” in the dressing room.
With just one win in eight games, Delhi finished bottom of Group B in 2018-19 Ranji Trophy. They finished runners-up to Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the 50-overs competition.
Earlier in the week, after months of speculation, Mumbai named Vinayak Samant, the former wicketkeeper, as head coach under controversial circumstances after Sulakshan Kulkarni alleged he wasn’t given a fair contract. Under the initial agreement, the MCA was to pay Kulkarni a fee of INR 24 lakhs for the season. This was later whittled to INR 14 lakhs, which Kulkarni categorically rejected.
Elsewhere down south, Tamil Nadu have appointed former allrounder D Vasu as their head coach, with former batsman R Prasanna as his assistant. Vasu replaces Hrishikesh Kanitkar, the former allrounder, who has moved on to a coaching role at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. Vasu scored 3001 runs and picked up 240 wickets during the course of his 15-year first-class career.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo