Amol Muzumdar front-runner to be next Indian women’s team coach

Former Mumbai coach Amol Muzumdar is the front-runner to be next Indian women’s team coach, it is learnt. The Indian Express understands Muzumdar had applied for the role which is vacant since Ramesh Powar was asked to move to the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore in December 2022.
The Indian board had sought applications from potential candidates and had laid down a few criteria for their next coach. There was no age restriction. The candidate should have represented India or any other country at international level or should have minimum NCA Level ‘C’ certification for a coach or a similar certification from a reputed organisation/Institute and a minimum of 50 FC games.
The candidate could have the experience of coaching an international team for a period of minimum 1 season or a T20 franchise for a minimum of 2 seasons. A thorough understanding of the game or playing/coaching experience at the highest level and experience of leading a multi-cultural team was desired.
A former Mumbai captain, Muzumdar was earlier part of the IPL team Rajasthan Royals and has also coached at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
He was roped in as Mumbai coach two seasons ago when Mumbai won the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy under him. However, he didn’t apply for the Mumbai senior side this year.
Muzumdar has also worked as batting coach with the South African team who traveled to India in 2019. Muzumdar has scored 11,167 first class runs at an average of 48.13.
The BCCI wanted a coach who could build a strong senior women’s national team and give strategic direction to the team management. The women’s coach is expected to determine and monitor the compliance of the set standards of fitness and high performance of NCA with the Women’s National Team.
When Powar was asked to move to NCA, the decision had put the spotlight firmly on the players, who continue to have a say in who gets to coach them. After the infamous Anil Kumble-Virat Kohli spat in 2017, this was the third such instance where a coach had been removed due to differences with the players and all three had come with the women’s team. In 2018, Tushar Arothe and Powar (first stint) had to vacate the seat because they didn’t see eye to eye with the players.
The board had not named a new head coach for the women’s team till the T20 World Cup earlier. Instead, former India cricketer Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who has been a batting consultant at the NCA, was elevated to the senior women’s team as batting coach and oversaw operations.