Odisha men’s head coach for the next domestic season is none other than domestic legend Surendra Bhave. That means that after a two-year sabbatical, Bhave will return as a First Class coach.Bhave was officially appointed for “the 2024–25 domestic season” by the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) on Wednesday night, after a thorough process overseen by its Cricket Advisory Committee.
Before retiring in 2000–01, Bhave, a Maharashtra opener, amassed 7,971 runs at an unbeatable average of 58.18 in 97 First Class matches. 1992–93 saw Bhave lead Maharashtra to an uncommon appearance in the Ranji Trophy final, in addition to playing India A in a SAARC tournament.
When India had their historic run in the 2011 World Cup, he was a member of the national selection panel.The new role and challenge have me thrilled. I’m excited to share my experience with this talented group of people. We will greatly benefit from being able to begin our preparations early, Bhave said to Sportstar from his hometown of Pune.
Before taking over at the zonal off-season under-19 camp of the National Cricket Academy at Nadiad, Bhave will spend a few days in Bhubaneswar later this week. In June, after completing his NCA obligations, he will legally join Odisha.
In domestic cricket, this will be his fifth assignment and fourth squad as a senior men’s head coach. In addition to his two stints with Maharashtra, during which the team advanced to the Ranji final in 2013–14, he has held executive positions at Haryana and Punjab.
Following his departure from Punjab in 2021–22, when the team lost to eventual Ranji winner Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals, Bhave has been managing a number of coaching centers in the Pune area and participating in the off-season activities of the NCA.
