Domestic stalwart Sitanshu Kotak set to join Team India as batting coach

Former Saurashtra batter Sitanshu Kotak is set to join the Indian team as their batting coach ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against England, starting in Kolkata on January 22. A report in ESPNcricinfo said the batters' plummeting returns resulting in a 0-3 Test defeat to New Zealand at home and a 1-3 series loss in Australia were discussed in the BCCI review meeting on Saturday and as a result, Kotak has been brought on board to solve the issues in the batting department.

Kotak amassed 8,061 runs in 130 first-class matches in a 20-year domestic career for Saurashtra as a left-handed batter and went on to captain the side. After his playing career ended, Kotak has been working as the batting coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) since 2019 and has Level 3 coaching certification too.

He has also stepped in as the head coach of several India A tours and served as assistant coach to VVS Laxman when the latter helmed India's white-ball bilateral engagements as head coach in the last few years. Kotak was also a stand-in coach for India's T20I series against Ireland in 2023.