The Indian cricket team will travel to England with a streamlined support staff as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has chosen not to renew the contracts of three key personnel: assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, fielding coach T Dilip, and strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai. Their contracts expire in June, and the changes mark a significant shift influenced by Gautam Gambhir’s rising clout in team management.

New Additions and Internal Reassignments

South African Adrian le Roux has been appointed as the new S&C coach, replacing Soham Desai. Le Roux, who has previous experience with the Indian team and has spent years with Punjab Kings, is expected to bring stability to the team’s fitness regime.

Meanwhile, the existing coaching core led by Gambhir remains intact:

Sitanshu kotak – Batting Coach

Morne Morkel – Bowling Coach

Ryan ten Doeschate – Assistant Coach (also taking over fielding responsibilities from T Dilip)

Influence of Gambhir and Recent Performance Review

These changes come on expected lines, particularly following India’s performance during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia. Initially collaborative, Gambhir’s role has become more proactive. He brought in Kotak as batting coach, which sidelined Nayar’s responsibilities, despite Nayar being a prior Gambhir recommendation during their time at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Behind the Scenes: Rohit’s Role and Departures

Both Nayar and Dilip had strong backing from captain Rohit Sharma. Dilip, in particular, survived an earlier shake-up under Rahul Dravid due to Rohit’s insistence. However, with ten Doeschate already brought in by Gambhir as a fielding coach, Dilip’s role became redundant.

Despite this, Dilip continued temporarily under the new regime, with Gambhir streamlining roles further ahead of the England tour.

Future Moves: Where Could Nayar and Dilip Head Next?

Abhishek Nayar may likely return to Kolkata Knight Riders, where he still holds considerable value. He had been overseeing the KKR Academy and training individual players, including KL Rahul, who publicly credited him for his IPL form.

T Dilip, a Telugu native from Hyderabad, has been speculated to take over as Andhra’s head coach. Although he recently addressed players at the Andhra Cricket Academy, the state cricket association has denied any official engagement.

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