Former India spinner Sunil Joshi is slated to become the new spin bowling coach at the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, with his tenure commencing on October 1st. The 55-year-old recently played a significant role in the Duleep Trophy and accompanied the India A squad during their matches against Australia A in Lucknow.
Joshi’s new assignment means that the Punjab Kings will now need to find a replacement for their assistant coach position, as he was part of the Ricky Ponting-led coaching staff in the previous Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
The search for this pivotal coaching role at the CoE involved interviews with several candidates earlier this year. However, Joshi’s extensive coaching experience ultimately saw him chosen over other contenders, including Rakesh Dhruv and Nooshin Al Khadeer, who currently coaches the India U-19 women’s team.
Beyond his contributions to the IPL, Joshi has a notable coaching history, having mentored Uttar Pradesh in the domestic cricket circuit and served as a spin bowling consultant for the Bangladesh national team.
Previously, Sairaj Bahutale held the position of spin bowling coach at the CoE, then known as the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He departed to take on a similar role with the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the 2025 IPL season.
The Indian cricket board initiated the application process for the CoE position in March, emphasizing that the “role is integral to the development and performance enhancement of India’s spin bowling talent across all formats and age groups including India Senior Teams (Men & Women), India A, U-23, U-19, U-16, and U-15 squads and State association players training at the BCCI CoE.”
Joshi’s responsibilities will involve close collaboration with CoE Head VVS Laxman. Together, they will focus on identifying, nurturing, and refining future spin talent. His role extends beyond grooming new prospects, encompassing regular training and development work with existing spinners in the Indian national team and those attending the CoE.