Who is Sairaj Bahutule? PBKS Coach Tapped to Lead Team India's Spin Bowling Department

Following the T20 World Cup 2026 success, head coach Gautam Gambhir is set to expand Team India's coaching staff for the packed upcoming season. Former India spinner Sairaj Bahutule is reportedly in advanced talks to be appointed as the new, full-time spin bowling coach after discussions with Gambhir and the BCCI.

Team India’s management, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir, is expected to see an addition in the coaching staff ahead of the national side’s next international assignment following the conclusion of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

After the IPL 2026, with the final scheduled for May 31, Team India will play five Tests across three series against Afghanistan, New Zealand, and Sri Lanka; 15 ODIs across five series against New Zealand, England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand; and 26 T20Is across six series against Ireland, England, Afghanistan, West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and at the Asian Games 2026.

With a packed calendar year ahead, the team management is expected to expand its coaching staff to ensure workload management, better preparation across formats, and specialised coaching for key departments ahead of a demanding international schedule.

Sairaj Bahutule In Line to Join Team India’s Coaching Staff

As Team India management prepares for the next international assignments following the T20 World Cup 2026 success, former India spinner Sairaj Bahutule is reportedly in line to join the national setup as a spin bowling coach.

According to the report by Cricbuzz, the head coach Gautam Gambhir has held two successful talks with Bahutule about the potential of bringing him on board as a specialist spin-bowling coach. Gambhir and the BCCI reportedly reached out to the former India spinner, who is currently serving as a spin bowling coach of the Punjab Kings.

After two rounds of talks, Gautam Gambhir reportedly approved Bahutule’s appointment as Team India’s new spin-bowling coach. With Team India’s recent struggles against slow bowling in home conditions, the move is seen as a strategic step to strengthen the department and provide specialist guidance to the spinners across formats ahead of a packed international calendar.

If officially appointed, Sairaj Bahutule is set to become the first full-time spin-bowling coach for Team India. The former Indian spinner’s ongoing stint with the Punjab Kings is expected to conclude at the end of the IPL 2026 season, after which he will transition into his new role with the national side.

Who is Sairaj Bahutule?

Sairaj Bahutule is a stalwart of Indian domestic cricket, having represented Mumbai, Andhra, Assam, Vidarbha, and Maharashtra in a 22-year career. Bahutule was the spin bowling all-rounder, amassing 6176 runs, 9 centuries, and 36 fifties, at an average of 31.83, and picked up 630 wickets, including 27 fifers and 4 10-wicket hauls at an economy rate of 2.56 in 188 first-class matches.

Interestingly, the former Mumbai spinner was one of the St.Xavier bowlers when Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli stitched a record 664-run partnership for Shardashram Vidyamandir in the 1988 Harris Shield semifinal.

Sairaj Bahutule represented Team India in 8 ODIs and 2Tests, scoring 23 runs and 2 wickets, and scoring 39 runs and 3 wickets, respectively. His international career never took off as he played during the era of legends Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh, whose dominance made it difficult for any other specialist spinner to secure a regular spot in the side.

Following retirement from cricket, Sairaj Bahutule served as the head coach of Vidarbha, Kerala, Bengal, and Gujarat. Bahutule served as a specialist bowling coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for three years between 2021 and 2024, and often traveled with India 'A' and senior squads. He also served as a spin bowling coach for the Rajasthan Royals. 

Sairaj Bahutule served as interim bowling coach for Team India on several occasions, most notably during the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka in 2024 and the white-ball tour to South Africa in November 2024, as well as acting as a spin-bowling consultant during the 2022-23 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.