There’s some big news coming out of the Indian men’s cricket team. It looks like Abhishek Nayar, T. Dilip, and Soham Desai are set to part ways with the coaching staff. Sources have also indicated that a masseur, who’s not yet named, will be leaving the team as well. Nayar joined as the assistant coach in July last year after previously working with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), while Dilip and Desai have been around since late 2021 and 2020, respectively. This group played a part in India’s successful Champions Trophy run in 2025, where they went unbeaten in Dubai.
Some folks in the Board have been questioning the need for so many coaches, especially after a disappointing Test series against Australia. They’ve pointed out that the support staff seems a bit crowded, which raised discussions about trimming it down a bit. So, rather than seeing this as a dismissal, it’s more about restructuring the coaching team to keep it lean. That doesn’t reflect on the abilities of Nayar, Dilip, or Desai; all three of them still have a lot to offer to Indian cricket and can help shape the next generation of players.
A number of batters in the Indian lineup, including KL Rahul, have spoken highly of Nayar for helping change their mindset and boost their performance in white-ball cricket. Similarly, Dilip has received praise for elevating the team’s fielding standards. It’s worth noting that the masseur in question has been with the Indian team for a couple of years too.
With these changes, it seems that Sitanshu Kotak, who is the batting coach, and Ryan ten Doeschate, the assistant coach who formerly worked as a fielding coach at KKR, will be taking over the responsibilities previously held by Nayar and Dilip. On top of this, it sounds like Adrian Le Roux is being considered to replace Desai. Le Roux has a history with the Indian team, serving as the strength and conditioning coach from 2002 to 2003, and more recently, he’s worked with the Punjab Kings in the IPL after his time with KKR from 2008 to 2019.
Looking ahead, India is gearing up for a five-match Test series against England, which kicks off on June 20. It’ll be interesting to see how these changes play out and what impact they’ll have on the team’s performance.
