Munaf Patel appointed as bowling coach and mentor at Baroda Cricket Association Academy

Munaf Patel,the former India right-arm medium-fast bowler, has been appointed as pace-bowling coach and mentor at the Baroda Cricket Association Academy in Vadodara. The appointment was confirmed on Thursday, September 3, 2026.

Patel was part of India's 2011 ODI World Cup-winning squad and adds considerable experience to the BCA's backroom staff. His calm and composed demeanour and commendable knowledge of the game will give him an edge as he looks to groom the talented fast bowlers in Vadodara.

Patel's coaching background at Delhi Capitals

Patel's first high-profile coaching role came with Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2025, a position he retained for IPL 2026. His two seasons with the franchise gave him exposure to high-pressure franchise cricket before this move to the BCA Academy.

In these two seasons, Patel worked as bowling coach under head coach Hemang Badani. The support unit at Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026 included Ian Bell as assistant coach, Venugopal Rao as director of cricket and John Mooney as fielding coach. Delhi Capitals finished sixth in the league stage, winning seven of their fourteen matches and missing the playoffs for the fifth consecutive time.

With JSW Group now the decision-makers at the franchise, a significant restructuring of the Delhi Capitals coaching group is expected. Reports indicate that Sourav Ganguly is being considered for the head coach position, while Yuvraj Singh could come in as batting coach.

Baroda's reinforcements for the domestic season

Patel's ties to Baroda go back a long way. He played domestic cricket for the state until November 2016, when he turned out in his final Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu, before retiring from competitive cricket in 2018. Born on July 12, 1983, in Ikhar, Bharuch, Gujarat, he was identified early by Kiran More, who arranged for him to train at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai under T.A. Sekhar and Dennis Lillee. Across his international career, Patel appeared in 13 Tests, 70 ODIs, and three T20Is, bagging 35, 86, and four wickets, respectively.

Also Read: Deepak Hooda ends rift with Krunal Pandya to rejoin Baroda

Baroda will also welcome back batting all-rounder Deepak Hooda for the current domestic season. Hooda is set to represent his home state after a five-year absence from the Baroda setup, giving the side a significant boost ahead of the campaign.