Last Updated on 4 years by Charbel Coorey
Anil Kumble: The number of Indian coaches in the IPL is not a true reflection of coaching resources
Indian Premier League 2020 is finally about to begin on September 19, where Mumbai Indians will face Chennai Super Kings. As the teams are maintaining all the security checks and staying in a bio-secure bubble even during the practice sessions, the 13th season is expected to be safe and sound.
During a practice session interaction, Anil Kumble, who heads Kings XI Punjab said that the number of Indian coaches in IPL doesn’t reflect the true resource of talent.
Kumble, being the only Indian head coach in the IPL, took this stand as most of the franchises are guided by International coaches. “I would like to see more Indian coaches in the IPL. It is not a true reflection of Indian resources. I would want to see many Indians being part of the IPL as head coaches”, said the Indian legend.
“It is a bit of an irony – one Indian as head coach. I think at some point in time there will be a lot more Indian coaches,” Kumble was quoted as saying by PTI.
The bio-secure bubble has forced players to follow restricted movement but the upside of this is that the cricketers are getting to know the support staff well, stated Kumble. There is also some uncertainty regarding Chris Gayle’s potential role in the starting XI this year. Arguably, the quartet of Glenn Maxwell, Nicholas Pooran, Sheldon Cottrell, and Mujeeb ur-Rahman would ideally take on the field. However, Gayle’s sheer impact and influence in the league over the years are undeniable and hence it will be difficult to bench him if the situation comes to that.
Hence, Kumble took a cautious approach whilst responding to a query concerning this issue. “Chris has a major role even as a player and even otherwise. His leadership, his experience, the youngsters look up to him. It is not just Chris the batsman we are looking at but Chris in a leadership role in terms of his contribution to developing young players. I want him to be active on the mentorship role”, he said.
Kings XI Punjab’s first match in IPL 2020 will be against Delhi Capitals on September 20.
Written by Anjali Jha. Follow Anjali on Twitter today.