Former Indian left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi, who was recently seen with the Punjab Kings in the IPL, has been drafted in as the bowling coach of the India A team for the Australia A tour, while Shreyas Iyer has been named the captain of the side in the multi-day matches.
The India A vs. Australia A series is starting to get exciting over the association of several big names with the series. The series already includes several Indian players who have dominated international cricket for India.
The likes of Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Dhruv Jurel, and many such players who have starred for India are all set to be part of the multi-day games, while the likes of legends Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma might also be roped in for the unofficial ODIs.
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Punjab Kings coach takes up a new role in India A management
Amid the chaos, former Indian selector Sunil Joshi has been named as the bowling coach of the India A team for the Australia A tour, as per TOI. The series includes two first-class games followed by three one-day games as well, and Joshi will be part of Hrishikesh Kanitkar’s coaching team.
The series is set to commence on the 16th of September, and the second match will be played from the 23rd of September. After these multi-day games, which will be held in Lucknow, the three one-day matches have been scheduled at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur.
The 54-year-old Joshi played in 15 Tests and 69 ODIs for India between 1996 and 2002, picking up 110 wickets across both formats while also piling up 936 runs. He was recently seen as the bowling coach of the Punjab Kings in the IPL 2025.
Atul Ranade named India A’s fielding coach for the Australia tour
Alongside Joshi’s appointment, another new appointment has been made to the India A coaching staff. Current Mumbai assistant coach Atul Ranade, who was the fielding coach of the Mumbai side in their victorious 2022-23 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, has been appointed as the fielding coach of the India A side.
“Joshi and Ranade have been appointed just for the Australia A series,” a source told TOI. Overall, the side looks comprehensive with the largely experienced international players led by Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer, and the coaching unit is also filled with some highly experienced men.
A peek into Sunil Joshi’s career
Though Joshi might not have played international cricket for decades, he is not devoid of immense experience in the sport. A stalwart of Indian domestic cricket, he played throughout the 1990s and early 2000s for the Karnataka State team.
He brings along an experience of 160 first-class games, 163 List A matches, and 15 T20Is. After giving up his career as a cricketer, he was the national selector of the Indian team from 2020 to 2023.
However, recently, he has taken up the role of Assistant coach and spin bowling instructor of the IPL franchise, Punjab Kings, under head coach Ricky Ponting. Before taking up the role with Punjab Kings, he was the coach of the Uttar Pradesh State team for the past domestic seasons.
The player also brings international coaching experience, having worked with Bangladesh as their spin consultant.
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