MUMBAI: When Mumbai tackle Chandigarh on the Wankhede Stadium of their 2026-27 Ranji Trophy opener, a well-recognized face might be plotting methods towards them whereas sitting within the rival dressing room/dugout.
Chandigarh have roped in former Mumbai wicketkeeper Vinayak Samant as their new head coach, TOI has learnt. Chandigarh might be taking part in on the Wankhede Stadium for the primary time, and it’ll actually assist them that Samant has performed cricket all his life on the venue.
“Chandigarh requested me to be their head coach for this season yesterday, and I stated ‘sure’. It is an honour to educate a first-class group once more,” Samant, who was the Bihar head coach for the previous two seasons, informed TOI.
Samant has been the top coach of Mumbai up to now. “I hope to assist Chandigarh’s gamers with my information of Mumbai and its gamers within the first match,” Samant stated.
The previous stumper, who performed 101 first-class matches for Mumbai and Tripura earlier than retiring in 2011, was often called a gutsy cricketer. Samant had coached the Mumbai Beneath-23 group to the Col CK Nayudu Trophy title within the 2023-24 season. He has performed for and was the top coach of Cricket Membership of India. He was additionally the fielding coach on the Assam Cricket Affiliation’s cricket academy within the 2023-24 season.
The Chandigarh group arrived in Mumbai on Thursday and can maintain their first observe session on Friday.
