As per reports in ESPN Cricinfo, the BCCI has terminated the contract of Team India's assistant coach Abhishek Nayar. Nayar was part of the coaching group under Gautam Gambhir, who is currently the head coach of the Indian team.
There are further reports that the BCCI is considering trimming down the contracts of the other support staff. Bowling coach Morne Morkel, fielding coach T. Dilip, and strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai are also on the radar.
Nayar joined as the assistant coach along with Gautam Gambhir in 2024. He was recruited in July and became the first of the support staff to be axed by the BCCI. His axing is a result of BCCI's review meeting after India's disastrous performance in the Test series at home against New Zealand and the Australia tour Down Under. While the Kiwis whitewashed the Men in Blue at home, against Australia, they lost 1-3.
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BCCI Start Axing India's Support Staff With Abhishek Nayar
Reports say that the BCCI had a review meeting with Gautam Gambhir immediately after the team returned from Australia. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and skipper Rohit Sharma attended the meeting. Gambhir was selected for a three-year period from 2024 to 2027. Meanwhile, the BCCI did not consider extending Nayar's contract.
"While India's recent Test debacles (against New Zealand and Australia) has led to the churning but there is also a feeling in the BCCI that Nayar became a scapegoat in the turf war between an important member of the support staff and a senior star player," a BCCI source told PTI.
Meanwhile, as per reports across several media outlets, South African sports scientist Adrian Le Roux is all set to rejoin the Indian team as the Strength and conditioning coach. He has previously worked with the Indian team back in the 2003 World Cup with the Sourav-Ganguly-led Indian team. He has also worked with KKR in the IPL between 2008-2019 and has a history of keeping the players in shape.
Speaking about Abhishek Nayar, he played three ODIs for India. He, along with Gautam Gambhir, led KKR to their third IPL title in 2024. Their appointment as head coach and assistant coach, respectively, happened almost immediately after KKR's IPL title win.
Meanwhile, Nayar has not commented anything on this development so far. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia did not give in too much when asked about the same as well.
"Certain things are being finalised. You will receive a press note from BCCI in some days," Saikia said when asked about the development.
