Know Our Bold Think Tank
After a journey of peaks and valleys over the 12 years, Royal Challengers Bangalore completely overhauled their coaching staff ahead of the IPL 2020. Here are some insights into our coaching support staff who are also an integral part of the Bold side.
Director of Cricketing Operations: Mike Hesson
In 1988, Mike Hesson became the youngest person to obtain a level three New Zealand Cricket coaching qualification. With 18 years of valuable experience in the coaching arena, He is one of the most versatile and sought-after coaches. In August 2019, the former Blackcaps coach, Mike Hesson was roped into the RCB set-up for the role of Director of Cricket Operations.
Given his cricketing adroitness, Mike played a very important role in shaping the Blackcaps cricket after 2011 fiasco. It was during his tenure that the cricketing fraternity took notice of the team which showed a brilliant amount of dexterity and artistry on the 22-yards. Post the IPL auction, Mike Hesson has provided the right structure to the side and has also provided clarity of roles to each individual. The staunch supporters of RCB will only hope that he plays an important role in changing the fortunes of the side.
Head Coach: Simon Katich
The 44-year-old has always been under the radar for RCB over the years. In August 2019, Simon Katich was appointed as the head coach of the team. One of the architects behind the Aussie's dominance in the late 2000s, Simon Katich has played 56 Test matches and 45 ODIs and has compiled over 5000 runs combining the numbers of both the formats.
He has also been a part of the Kolkata Knight Riders and Perth Scorchers think tank, the experience which he has gained over the years will come in handy for the Challengers. Come March, The Trans-Tasman duo will look to help the Challengers end the long-awaited trophy drought.
Head of Scouting: Malolan Rangarajan
The 30-year-old parted ways with professional cricket after pertaining to lack of playing opportunities hence he identified a different roadmap and vision. Malolan Rangarajan will be heading the scouting annex for the Challengers in the upcoming season of the IPL. He made his first-class debut for Tamil Nadu back in 2011 and is also a renowned name in the cricketing circles of Tamil Nadu. Malolan's gig with the Challengers will mark the beginning of a new chapter for the 30-year-old.
Batting and Spin-bowling coach: Sridharan Sriram
Sridharan Sriram is known for his proficiency in playing spin and has also worked with Australia, one of the most formidable sides in the international circuit as a spin consultant. Sriram in his initial days bowled serviceable off-spin and was also one of the most dependable batsmen for his state side, Tamil Nadu. It was during the domestic season of 2000 when he made inroads to the senior Indian team after scoring 1075 runs in the Ranji Trophy. Right from his preliminary days, Sridharan has been an exceptional player of spin bowling. He will be a vital cog in fine-tuning and enhancing skills of each individual on how to counter spin in the T20 format.
Bowling Coach: Adam Griffith
Adam Griffith is a familiar face in Australian cricket. The speedster was part of the Australia-A set-up after a productive domestic season for Tasmania In 2004. Citing to injuries, Adam Griffith retired at the age of 33. The former Tasmanian speedster has previously been a part of the support staff of the Australian Cricket in the year of 2016. With the likes of Dale Steyn, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini, the RCB bowling wing will be highly benefitted from the inputs of Adam Griffith who has a very vast experience in the coaching forum.
Strength and Conditioning Coach: Shanker Basu
The 51-year-olds stint with the Indian side started in 2015. Shanker Basu played an important role in improving the performance graph of the Indian pacers with the likes of Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami. Basu has been the brains behind evolving and introducing a new fitness regime for Mohammed Shami which eventually paid dividends for the speedster. He considers the improvement of Mohammed Shami as his biggest achievement over the decade. He was also the part of the RCB set-up as a conditioning coach in the year 2016 and 2017.
Physiotherapist: Evan Speechly
The South-African born physiotherapist is a familiar face in the RCB dressing room as he has been associated with the Challengers for over a long period of time. Evan has closely worked with Gauteng Lions, South Africa soccer team, Springbok Rugby side and Indian Cricket team. Evan Speechly will be working alongside Shanker Basu and Navnita Gautam for the forthcoming season of the IPL.
Sports Massage Therapist: Navnita Gautam
In a ground-breaking move, Royal Challengers Bangalore appointed Navnita Goutham as the sports massage therapist. She is the first woman to be a part of the support staff for RCB and will be accountable for performing techniques regarding preparation prior to the game and also motivating the players in maintaining the right headspace throughout the tournament.
NEXT
