BCCI terminates assistant coach Abhishek Nayar’s contract

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ended the contract of Abhishek Nayar, who was serving as the assistant coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. His removal comes less than a year after his appointment in July 2024.

Nayar’s departure is the first major decision taken following a performance review by the BCCI. The review was launched after India’s poor run in Test cricket late last year, which included a 3-0 whitewash at home against New Zealand and a 3-1 series loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Soon after the team returned from Australia, the BCCI organized a review meeting in Mumbai. It was attended by head coach Gautam Gambhir, Test and ODI captain Rohit Sharma, chief selector Ajit Agarkar, and BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.

Nayar, a former Mumbai all-rounder who played three ODIs for India, was a close aide of Gambhir and had worked with him during IPL 2024 at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where the team won its third IPL title. Despite his coaching experience being limited to player development and franchise cricket, he was trusted by many Indian players, including Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, and Shreyas Iyer, for individual training and guidance.

However, signs of a possible change in coaching staff appeared earlier this year when the BCCI appointed former Saurashtra batter Sitanshu Kotak as the new batting coach for the England home series. Nayar’s position became uncertain after that move.

Although the BCCI has not officially commented on the exact reason behind Nayar’s removal, sources say it is part of the board’s plan to rebuild the coaching setup for better long-term performance.

In another major update, Adrian Le Roux, who previously worked as a trainer with the Indian men’s cricket team in the early 2000s, is set to return to the same role. 

According to reports, Le Roux—currently with Punjab Kings in the IPL—has accepted a recent offer from the BCCI. He will take over from Soham Desai, who has been India’s strength and conditioning coach since 2019.

Le Roux first joined the Indian team as a consultant during their 2001–02 tour of South Africa. He later signed a one-year contract that continued until the 2003 World Cup. Although the BCCI offered him an extension, he turned it down, citing personal reasons and chose to stay in South Africa. He then joined the South African national team as their trainer.

During his earlier stint with India, Le Roux worked closely with physiotherapist Andrew Leipus. Together, they played a key role in improving the fitness standards of the Indian team.