New Delhi, April 17, 2025: Following India’s disappointing 1-3 defeat to Australia in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has moved swiftly to revamp the team’s support structure, removing several key staff members.
Assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, fielding coach T. Dilip, and strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai have all been relieved of their duties. Additionally, reports indicate that a team masseur has also been sacked, highlighting the scale of the internal restructuring.
Nayar, who joined the coaching setup just eight months ago, had been brought in alongside several members of Gautam Gambhir’s trusted staff from Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite initial promise, the team’s continued struggles—particularly the underwhelming batting displays in overseas conditions—prompted the BCCI to initiate major changes.
This overhaul comes under the leadership of newly-appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir, who took charge after India’s premature exit from the 2024 World Cup. While his tenure began positively with a Champions Trophy triumph, the inability to secure results in Australia has raised serious questions about the team’s preparation and execution in Test cricket.
The BCCI had earlier appointed Sitanshu Kotak, coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and India A, as the batting coach for white-ball formats. Although Kotak remains in his role, the recent dismissals indicate further refinement is underway ahead of India’s crucial five-match home Test series against England, starting June 20.
In the interim, Ryan ten Doeschate, currently serving as an assistant coach, is expected to take over fielding responsibilities. However, the BCCI has yet to announce replacements for the outgoing coaches, especially for the role of assistant coach, previously held by Nayar.
The latest changes reflect a sense of urgency within the BCCI to restore consistency and competitiveness across all formats. With India’s Test team under mounting pressure to bounce back, all eyes will be on the restructured coaching unit as it prepares the squad for the upcoming series against England.
