India have put a specialist spin voice inside Gautam Gambhir’s senior support staff, with the BCCI confirming Sairaj Bahutule as spin-bowling coach of the men’s national team.
The appointment is more than a staffing note. It gives India a dedicated technical lead for a department that will sit at the centre of their multi-format planning, from home Test surfaces to white-ball match-ups where Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Ravi Bishnoi all carry different tactical value. It also sits inside a wider bowling structure in which India must balance spin control with seam options such as Arshdeep Singh.
Why Bahutule Fits India’s Next Phase
The BCCI said Bahutule’s coaching background covers domestic, pathway and international cricket, including head-coach roles with Vidarbha, Kerala, Gujarat and Bengal. He has also worked with Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings in the IPL, and was bowling coach of India’s Under-19 World Cup-winning side in 2022.
That pathway detail matters. India have already been forced into careful selection management during the England block, with Ryan ten Doeschate’s warning underlining how quickly overseas conditions can expose loose planning.
Bahutule, who played two Tests and eight ODIs for India, now becomes the bridge between development detail and senior execution. His remit should be measured less by headline selection calls and more by whether India’s spinners arrive with sharper roles, clearer fields and better answers when conditions stop doing the work for them.
News BCCI appoints Sairaj Bahutule as India’s Spin Bowling Coach. More Details | #TeamIndia.
— BCCI (@BCCI) June 2, 2026
