BCCI ponders over hiring batting coach after struggles of Indian batsmen against New Zealand and Australia - Reports

The current Indian cricket team coaching staff doesn’t have a designated batting coach.

In an interesting development regarding the Indian cricket team, the BCCI is finally considering strongly hiring a batting coach.

According to a report in Cricbuzz, discussions have taken place within the BCCI and the Indian team management on strengthening the support staff by adding a batting coach.

Currently, the Indian coaching staff doesn’t have a designated batting coach. It includes head coach Gautam Gambhir, bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T Dilip, and two assistant coaches – Ryan ten Doeschate and Abhishek Nayar.

The reported need of a batting coach has arisen following the struggles of India’s batsmen, including the likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, against New Zealand and Australia.

Last year, India suffered their first-ever home white-wash in a test series of three or more tests as New Zealand ended India’s proud 12-year home dominance. Then, the team lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 by 3-1 scoreline.

The BCCI has reportedly considered a few names for the vacant role, including former domestic cricket giants.

During the last test season, against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Australia, Rohit averaged only 10.93 across eight tests, and Kohli averaged 22.47 across 10 tests. While Rohit could barely survive for long, Kohli kept getting out to deliveries outside the off-stump in Australia.

Current coaching staff does not have the “stature” as Ravi Shastri, says former bowling coach

A few days ago, former India bowling coach Bharat Arun had noted that the current coaching staff doesn’t have the “the kind of stature and confidence” that former head coach Ravi Shastri had in telling Kohli to correct his mistakes.

“Shastri told him, ‘You stand on the leg stump and the ball swings in England. You cannot stand here, stand on the middle stump, come out of the crease. You are the owner of the crease. Kohli followed this in Australia [in 2014/15] and scored four centuries’. To say this to Kohli, one needs to have the kind of stature and confidence that Ravi Shastri had, which I think the current coaching staff does not have,” Arun said on S Badrinath’s YouTube channel.

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