Rating the top applicants for India coach's job

#1 Praveen Amre : 9.5/10

Praveen Amre has revolutionised ‘personal coaching’ in India

Perhaps one of the most underrated faces in the Indian domestic arena, as far as successful coaches are concerned, has been the former India batsman turned personal/professional coach, Praveen Amre. Amre’s first campaign with the national side – as a player – was short-lived, as he played just 11 Tests and 37 ODIs, but the coaching career that he undertook thereafter has been long-lasting as well as rewarding for the 47-year-old. Amre has coached the Mumbai Ranji Team to three Ranji Trophy titles, has revolutionised personal coaching in India by coaching the likes of Robin Singh, Robin Uthappa, and Dinesh Karthik, and also guided the India Under-19 Cricket Team to the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup title in 2012.

Amongst the current crop of Indian cricketers, big guns like Ajinkya Rahane and Suresh Raina have already sought Amre’s guidance whenever they have faced difficulties with their batting. Naman Ojha, another cricketer who has been on the fringes of the Indian team has also availed Amre's services. Not only this, the Mumbai-born former cricketer has also set up a cricket academy in Mumbai, named the Cricket India Academy to nurture young talents and contribute to the domestic structure of Indian cricket. The academy, set up in 2009, also has affiliations with Cricket Australia and has former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee as its brand ambassador. What gives Amre an edge over everyone else is his association with the Indian domestic circuit and his knack for identifying and nurturing young talent.

Amre’s prowess as an efficient coach can be judged by Uthappa’s performances in the IPL post the 2013 season. Before the 7th edition of the league, Uthappa sought Amre’s guidance and changed his batting technique a fair bit in a quest to improve his domestic performances and push his chances for a Team India recall. The move paid off handsomely for the Karnataka batsman, as since his association with the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014, Uthappa, with a changed stance and technique, has been amongst the top run-getters for the franchise over the past three seasons. Therefore, Amre’s long-standing contribution to Indian cricket, his familiarity with the current generation of Indian cricketers, and his continued dedication to coaching makes him the best candidate for the role of the Indian Cricket Team’s head coach.