Sairaj Bahutule joins India's backroom setup as spin-bowling coach ahead of one-off Test against Afghanistan

Former leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule has joined Team India's backroom staff as the new spin-bowling coach ahead of their one-off Test match against Afghanistan. The five-day game commences on Saturday, June 6, at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh.

Bahutule was recently part of the Punjab Kings' setup during the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL), where he also worked as a spin-bowling coach. The 53-year-old has previously worked with the senior Indian side under the Rahul Dravid regime, but will now join the coaching team on a much more permanent basis. 

Bahutule joins the coaching team led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, along with Sitanshu Kotak (batting), Morne Morkel (fast bowling), T Dilip (fielding) and Ryan ten Doeschate (assistant coach). 

The former PBKS coach's first assignment will be to work alongside the likes of Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Manav Suthar and Harsh Dubey ahead of the Test match against Afghanistan. The latter two are part of India's red-ball squad for the first time in their careers, which allows them to learn from the experienced Bahutule.

India going with a designated spin-bowling coach makes sense after the Men in Blue were out-bowled in the spin department by New Zealand and South Africa in Tests over the past couple of years. With Ravindra Jadeja not included in the squad and Ravichandran Ashwin retiring from international cricket, India will need a spin-bowling mentor, a role that has fallen on the shoulders of Bahutule. He will also remain with the squad for the subsequent white-ball series against Afghanistan. 

"It is a tremendous honour to be appointed as the Spin Bowling Coach of the Indian Men's Cricket Team. Representing India as a player was a matter of immense pride, and the opportunity to contribute to Indian Cricket once again in a coaching capacity is deeply special. I look forward to working with the players and supporting the team's pursuit of excellence across formats," Bahutule said after his appointment. 

It is worth mentioning that Bahutule has 10 appearances for India, including playing eight One Day Internationals (ODIs). The spinner, however, managed to take only five wickets in his international career, having last represented his country in 2003. The Mumbai-born player does have an excellent record in First-Class cricket, though. He played 188 games in the red-ball format and took 630 wickets at an average of 26 with four 10-wicket hauls to his name.