Ranji Trophy 2019-20: Saurashtra appoints Karsan Ghavri as head coach

Fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat to remain captain of the side; India No 3 Cheteshwar Pujara will be available for the first few matches.

Sixty-eight-year old Karsan Ghavri has been named coach of Saurashtra.

 

After finishing last year’s Ranji Trophy as the runner-up, Saurashtra is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that it maintains the domination this season as well. It has named former India international Karsan Ghavri as the coach of the side for the 2019-20 season.

The 68-year-old returns to coaching after 13 years. In 2006, he was the head coach of Tripura.

“I am returning to coaching after a long time, but the excitement is still very much there. I take this opportunity as a big challenge and I am as excited as I was in 2005 or 2006,” Ghavri told  Sportstar .

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The Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) had to look for a new coach this season as Sitanshu Kotak was appointed India A coach earlier this year. “We had approached him (Ghavri) to mentor the boys for the T20 and one-dayers and after that, we decided to appoint him as the coach. It will be big boost for the players,” SCA president Jaydev Shah said.

While the official team announcement will be done on Wednesday, this publication can confirm that Jaydev Unadkat will remain the captain for this season, and the team will also be boosted by the presence of India international Cheteshwar Pujara. “He will be available for at least the first few matches. His presence will help the players and the team immensely. We are looking forward to a successful season,” Shah said.

After being part of the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Cricket Improvement Committee, Ghavri had resigned. “Our target is to win the championship, and we are working hard for that,” Ghavri said.

With a perfect mix of youth and experienced players, the new coach is confident about the team’s success.

"At this level, when you are a mentor or head coach, your job is to help the players rectify the small mistakes. Even at this stage, the players make small mistakes, so more than coaching, it is about man management — talking to the individuals across departments and motivate them. That’s what I will do,” Ghavri said.

Saurashtra will begin its campaign on December 9 against Himachal Pradesh at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.