Kevin Pietersen Declares Interest in India Men's Batting Coach Role
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Synopsis
Kevin Pietersen, the former England cricketer, has revealed his openness to the position of batting coach for the Indian men's cricket team. This comes as India seeks to enhance its coaching staff amid recent batting struggles.
Key Takeaways
- Kevin Pietersen is interested in the batting coach position for India.
- Current head coach is Gautam Gambhir.
- India recently faced disappointing defeats against New Zealand and Australia.
- Pietersen has an impressive international record.
- There is a pressing need for a batting coach due to players' form issues.
New Delhi, Jan 16 (NationPress) Kevin Pietersen, the former England cricketer, has shown his willingness to join the Indian men's cricket team as a batting coach. This announcement comes in light of India's search for a batting coach to enhance their current support staff.
Currently, Gautam Gambhir leads the coaching team, which includes Abhishek Nayar and Ryan Ten Doeschate as assistant coaches, alongside Morne Morkel and T. Dilip handling bowling and fielding, respectively. Pietersen responded to two reports on X, stating he is ‘available’ for the role.
This interest is particularly relevant following India's disappointing batting displays, which resulted in a 0-3 loss to New Zealand at home and a 1-3 defeat against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Consequently, India has missed the chance to compete in the 2025 ICC World Test Championship final, now set to be contested between Australia and South Africa at Lord’s in June.
Pietersen boasts an impressive record, having scored 8181 runs at an average of 47.29 in 104 Tests, including 23 centuries and 35 fifties. In 136 ODIs, he accumulated 4440 runs with an average of 40.73, which features nine centuries and 25 fifties. His T20I record includes 1176 runs from 37 matches at an average of 37.94, with seven fifties.
He played a significant role in England's 2010 Men’s T20 World Cup victory, earning the Player of the Tournament title. Historically, India has employed a dedicated batting coach, with Sanjay Bangar serving from the 2014 England tour until September 2019, followed by Vikram Rathour until the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup.
Furthermore, the recent batting struggles of captain Rohit Sharma, along with Virat Kohli's issues with off-stump deliveries and Shubman Gill's inconsistent overseas performance, highlight the necessity for a specialized batting coach. Among potential candidates for this position are W.V Raman, Sitanshu Kotak, and Hrishikesh Kanitkar.
