MCA shortlists three candidates for the post of Mumbai coach

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has been inviting applications for the post of coaches especially for the senior men’s team which has a remuneration of Rs 24 lakh for the contract period (one year), while bonus to him will be Rs 12 lakh for “winning the Ranji Trophy” or Rs 6 lakh for finishing as runners-up in the premier domestic tournament.

The process has been in limbo thanks to the confusion of the Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) chairman and a few other things. The two-member as given a boost with the addition of Karsan Ghavri, who had previously resigned from the CIC in January this year, has been brought back. The committee has shortlisted three candidates for the post of head coach of the senior Mumbai team.

Interviews for head coach position to be conducted on Monday, May 20

Three candidates — Sairaj Bahutule, Sulakshan Kulkarni and Vinayak Samant — will be interviewed on Monday for the post of the senior team coach. Samant had previously led the Mumbai team to Vijay Hazare Trophy win, but then seemingly lost confidence in the unit leading to a disastrous outing in Ranji Trophy and then the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well.

As per reports from Sportstar, former multiple times Ranji Trophy winner Sairaj Bahutule and another former Mumbai stalwart Sulakshan Kulkarni are ahead in the race of the position for the head coach. Kulkarni, after coaching Mumbai for three seasons starting 2011-12, was also in charge of Chhattisgarh’s maiden Ranji season in 2016-17.

Bahutule played 188 FC matches, scoring 6176 runs with nine centuries and picked 630 wickets. He also played one Test and 8 ODIs for India picking a total of five wickets. Kulkarni, on the other hand, played 65 FC matches, scoring 3331 runs with 6 centuries and was a brilliant wicketkeeper making 143 dismissals.

It is also understood that both the candidates have the backing from officials of MCA. The 41-time champion side, won the Ranji Trophy title, for the last time in the 2016-17 season and has not fared well in the last two seasons of the elite tournament of Indian FC cricket.

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