Vinayak Samant has been appointed as the coach for Mumbai team for this season. The announcement came after a series of meetings on Thursday and MCA found him to be the suitable candidate for the position.
The appointment
Vinayak Samant represented Mumbai and Tripura over 100 first-class matches and this domestic experience can aid for a change in the Mumbai squad. Samant had been one of the reliable wicket-keeper batsmen over the years and it will be interesting to see how well he can groom the youngsters.
The Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) recommended his name to the management and hence the appointment. Though Pravin Amre and Ramesh Powar were expected to be the replacements, the former opted out due to conflict of interest issues. On the other hand, a special resolution exists in the MCA that if a person opts out for a coaching role in the mid-season, he will not be considered in near future. On these grounds, Powar is ineligible as he had stepped down as the spin coach back in February.
The 45-year-old Vinayak Samant had coached the Mumbai U-23 squad couple of years ago when they have crowned the champions. It will certainly be a challenging journey for him as Mumbai has been one of the most successful teams in the history of Ranji trophy.
Mumbai Under 19 gets a new coach
The Mumbai Under 19 squad also received a major boost as former all-rounder Wilkin Mota has been appointed as the coach. He will take up the responsibility from Satish Samant.