The appointment comes at a time when the Indian team management was looking to strengthen its specialist coaching structure for spin bowling. Reports indicate that Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir and top officials of the Board of Control for Cricket in India supported the move to bring in an experienced spin-bowling mentor for the national side.
The 53-year-old Bahutule represented India in two Test matches and eight One Day Internationals between 1997 and 2003, taking five wickets during his international career. However, his domestic cricket record remains highly distinguished. The former Mumbai all-rounder featured in 188 first-class matches, claiming an impressive 630 wickets at an average of 26.00. He also scored 6,176 runs at an average of 31.83, underlining his value as a dependable all-round performer in domestic cricket.
Over the years, Bahutule has built extensive coaching experience with the Indian setup. He served as India’s bowling coach and spin-bowling consultant on nearly 10 tours and series during the coaching tenures of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who had also handled the national side in interim coaching roles.
Bahutule was also appointed head coach of India’s white-ball tour to South Africa in November 2024. In addition, he guided the India Emerging team during its tour of Oman last year, further strengthening his credentials within the national cricket structure.
The current Team India coaching unit includes batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, fast-bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T Dilip, and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate. Bahutule is now expected to complete the coaching structure by taking charge of the spin-bowling department for the next two years.
Despite repeated attempts, Bahutule could not be contacted for comment on the development. His expected appointment is being viewed as a significant addition to India’s coaching staff, particularly at a time when spin bowling continues to remain a major strength of Indian cricket across all formats.
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