In a first, Assam goes for split coaching for domestic season

While Vivek Jaisimha will be the head coach of the senior men’s team for the red-ball tournaments, RX Murali will be at the helm for the shorter format.

FILE PHOTO: Vivek Jaisimha (left) featured in 78 first-class and 19 List A games for Hyderabad and Goa. In the past, he served as the head coach of Assam’s age-group teams. | Photo Credit: V V SUBRAHMANYAM/ The Hindu

In a first, the Assam Cricket Association has opted for split coaching for the upcoming domestic season. While Vivek Jaisimha will be the head coach of the senior men’s team for the red-ball tournaments, RX Murali will be at the helm for the shorter format.

Sources in the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) told  Sportstar that the decision has been taken keeping a long season in mind. “Over the years we have observed that due to a long season, the players and the coaching staff often get fatigued as they switch formats. So, the apex council decided to have separate coaches for red-ball and white-ball cricket. It’s the first time we made such a decision and if it works out, we will continue it in the future,” a well-placed source in the ACA, said.

While Assam performed reasonably well in white-ball cricket over the last couple of years - reaching the Vijay Hazare Trophy semifinal in 2022 and following it up with a semifinal spot in last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where it lost to Baroda by six wickets - it has struggled to reach the knockout stages of the Ranji Trophy.

“Cricket has changed immensely over a period of time and it’s all about expertise. While we had good starts in Ranji Trophy, we somehow failed to keep the momentum going in the later stage. Now, with a different set-up of coaches, we hope things will improve,” the source said, indicating that even though the core players will remain the same across formats, there will be some new faces for respective tournaments, according to expertise.

RX Murali has coached the likes of K.L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal in his long and illustrious career. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

“We wanted to try this split coaching rule last season itself, but due to certain reasons, we could not. This time, the apex council gave the nod...” the source added.

Jaisimha, 60, is the son of legendary India international, late M.L. Jaisimha. He featured in 78 first-class and 19 List A games for Hyderabad and Goa. In the past, he served as the head coach of Assam’s age-group teams, and the association believes his elevation will help the team achieve its goals.

Murali, on the other hand, was associated with the Nagaland Cricket Association for the last couple of years. A seasoned coach, the Bengaluru-based Murali has coached the likes of K.L. Rahul, Mayank Agarwal in his long and illustrious career. He is currently the coach of Mysore Warriors in the ongoing Maharaja Cup.

Another former India international Noel David, meanwhile, has been appointed Assam’s U-23 head coach.

In the Ranji Trophy, Assam is placed in Elite Group D along with Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Chandigarh, Saurashtra, Delhi, Railways and Chhattisgarh.