Sameer Dighe appointed as the new coach of Mumbai domestic team

Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, Sameer Dighe is appointed as the coach of Mumbai domestic team for the upcoming 2017-18 domestic season. Dighe will be succeeding Chandrakant Pandit who was with the team in 2015-16 and 2016-17 season.

Under Pandit, Mumbai made into the finals of the Ranji Trophy in both the seasons and were crowned as the Ranji champions for the record 41st time in 2015-16 by defeating Saurashtra in the finals by an innings margin but lost in the 2016-17 season final to Gujarat, who bagged their maiden Ranji Trophy title.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) recently appointed a new selection committee headed by the former Indian fast bowler, Ajit Agarkar. They handed over the responsibility of picking a new coach for the team to the Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) from among Praveen Amre and Sameer Dighe after the MCA reportedly found out ex-coach Pandit had attitude issues.

CIC to appoint the coach

The committee which choose the new coach for the senior team constituted of Nilesh Kulkarni, Jatin Paranjape and Sunil More along the chief selector Agarkar. Though the coaches for different age groups were selected a couple of days ago, the selection of the coach for the senior team was put off until today (June 2nd).

Sameer Dighe featured in 6 Test matches and 23 ODIs for India in the early 2000s while his last appearance came during India’s tour of Sri Lanka in 2001. Speaking after being appointed as the Mumbai coach, Dighe is hopeful coming good considering the expectations.

“It’s a new assignment and I am looking forward to it, (as) Mumbai are Ranji Champions for over 40 times, there are expectations from me,” Dighe was quoted by PTI after his appointment.

Though Dighe hasn’t coached any big team, he coached the Hong Kong team in the 2007 ICC World Cricket League Division Three and was included in the Mumbai support staff on a couple of occasions as he acted as mentor for the Mumbai T20 team in 2014/15 season and was appointed as the senior team’s chief selector in 2009.