IPL 2017: 4 Indians who will be coaching in the IPL for the first time

Mohammad Kaif

The former India batsman, who was part of the Rajasthan Royals setup when they won the IPL in 2008 was appointed the assistant coach to Brad Hodge ahead of the start of the season.

The 36-year-old, who continues to play and captain Chattisgarh on the domestic circuit, will be seen in a coaching avatar for the first time in the IPL and it will be interesting to see how the fielding, an element which he specialised in during his India career, of the Lions turns out to be this year.

With the likes of Suresh Raina, Brendon McCullum and others, they already possess a competent line-up and it would now be upon Kaif to elevate their levels further and ensure they save every run on the field.

Speaking to Sportskeeda, Lions owner Keshav Bansal spoke about the thinking behind picking Kaif as coach.

"Fielding is one area that we realised that we definitely need to improve and work on last season, therefore we have him. Also, he is an experienced player, so I think somewhere down the line, we have a lot of young, domestic talent and I think he will play an important role in motivating, guiding and keeping the team together. Getting Mohammad Kaif definitely adds a lot of value to our side," he said.

The Lions begin their campaign against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday.