Anil Kumble’s resignation from the post of India’s head coach has stirred tye India cricket fans. While the Kohli-Kumble spat is making the headlines, the most important question hovering in the air is who will be India’s next head coach?
For BCCI, options are in plenty as several veteran cricketers like Virender Sehwag, Tom Moody, and Richard Pybus have expressed their interest in replacing the former Indian leg-spinner. However, among these flamboyant candidates, Sanjay Bangar is also present and courtesy of his strong credentials, he may end up grabbing the high profile job.
Bangar, India’s current batting coach, is performing his duty efficiently and hence poses a strong case. We look at the five reasons why Sanjay Bangar can become India’s head coach.
#5 Glorious past success as coach
In any field past experience and success is considered to be a key factor in analysing the potential of any candidate. In this regard, Sanjay Bangar has a certain upper hand.
Kings XI Punjab, with their innovative, all-out aggressive batting strategy, took the cricketing world by storm in the IPL 2014 and enjoyed roaring success. Much of that success must be credited to Sanjay Bangar, their assistant coach in that season.
George Bailey, Punjab’s captain then, had explained Bangar’s role by saying, “Everything you see and like about Kings XI starts with Sanjay Bangar. His knowledge of the game is wonderful. His ability to draw younger players out of their shells has been phenomenal and he has been fantastic in managing the overseas players.”
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However, Bangar’s biggest achievement as a coach has come with India’s national team. In 2014, he was assigned the role of India’s batting coach and till date, he is holding on to that position. It is to be noted that several Indian batsmen like Ajinkya Rahane, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli reached the pinnacle of their batting abilities post 2014 and Bangar deserves credit for the transformation.
The past success makes this former Railway’s captain the ideal candidate for the post of India’s head coach.
#4 Strong relationship with current Indian team
It is often said that the role of a coach is not about pointing the mistakes of players but is of understanding their problems and helping them in overcoming their weaknesses. However, this is easier said than done and hence there have been several instances in the past where the coach failed to strike a bond of trust with the team.
Coaching careers of Greg Chappell and Anil Kumble ended on a bitter note because they failed to understand the mindset of players and their thinking abilities. This is where Bangar is different. He is soft-spoken and is known to have a good relationship with the current Indian team.
On several occasions, Indian players have openly applauded Bangar’s working methods and have spoken highly about his relationship with the team. Having spent time with Indian national team for the last three years, the former Indian all-rounder shares a special bond with the team.
#3 Highly impressive career as a player
Sanjay Bangar didn’t enjoy a long international career as a player but he made sterling contributions in the 12 Tests and 15 ODIs he played. With the bat, he averaged close to 30 in Tests, while his part-time medium fast bowling yielded seven wickets in 14 ODI innings.
However, his domestic career of two decades was highly successful. Featuring in 165 matches, he amassed more than 8000 runs and also picked up 300 wickets. He led the Railways team for quite a long time and played a crucial role in securing two Ranji Trophy titles and two Irani Cup titles.
Bangar is best remembered for his gritty and high-quality innings of 68 which he played at Headingley in 2002, that led to India’s memorable Test win in England.
#2 Support from the Cricket Advisory Committee
The three-member Cricket Advisory Committee will make the final selection of India’s head coach and hence the attitude of the committee towards the candidate is a deciding factor. The committee comprises of Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman.
All these three cricketers have played with Bangar in the past and hence are well-versed with his abilities and skills. In fact, the Cricket Advisory Committee has always recognised Bangar’s role in Indian batsmen’s recent success in overseas Tests as well as in limited overs format.
This positive admiration from the committee is a critical factor for Bangar and this prospect may result in his selection as Kumble’s successor.
#1 A smart strategist and keen follower of the game
More than his past success and his relationship with other cricketers, what makes Bangar stand out is the depth of his knowledge of the sport and his impeccable analysis.
In 2014, the former Indian all-rounder smartly worked on the strengths of Kings XI Punjab’s squad and asked their batsmen to go for the kill from the first ball. This strategy was risky but it worked well for the team because Bangar had planned every move meticulously.
When he was roped in by BCCI to coach the Indian batsmen in 2014, Bangar analysed the game of every player and prepared a specific plan for every Indian batsman. The results of his coaching methods are evident from the success Indian batsmen have had in the past two years.
The presence of a smart coach in the team has several benefits and for the current Indian team which comprises of mostly youngsters, someone of the stature of Bangar can make a huge difference.
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