Former India spinner Sairaj Bahutule is set to join the Indian men’s cricket team as its dedicated spin-bowling coach for a two-year term, according to sources within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The 53-year-old, currently serving as the spin-bowling coach for Punjab Kings in the IPL, will part ways with the franchise after the ongoing 2026 season.
Bahutule’s appointment aims to strengthen India’s spin attack ahead of a busy international calendar. His tenure is expected to begin with the home series against Afghanistan in June. The BCCI approached Bahutule after head coach Gautam Gambhir and top officials identified the need for an experienced specialist to guide the team’s spinners.
With a strong domestic and international record, Bahutule played two Tests and eight One-Day Internationals for India between 1997 and 2003, claiming five wickets. In first-class cricket, he featured in 188 matches, taking 630 wickets at an average of 26.00 and scoring 6,176 runs at an average of 31.83. His coaching credentials include serving as India’s bowling coach or spin-bowling consultant on approximately 10 tours and series during the tenures of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman. He also acted as head coach for India’s white-ball tour to South Africa in November 2024 and for the India Emerging team’s tour of Oman last year.
Bahutule has worked closely with many of India’s leading spinners and rising talents. He was the spin-bowling consultant for the home Test series against Australia in 2022-23 at the insistence of then head coach Rahul Dravid. Additionally, he spent three and a half years as the spin-bowling coach at the BCCI’s National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru from 2021 to 2024. In the IPL, he previously served as Rajasthan Royals’ spin-bowling coach from 2018 to 2021 and again in 2025, and has also been head coach for domestic teams including Bengal, Vidarbha, Kerala, and Gujarat.
The current Team India coaching setup includes batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, fast-bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T Dilip, and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. Bahutule will fill the newly created spin-bowling role. He could not be reached for comment at the time of reporting.
