The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) announced on Thursday that former India right-arm pacer Vinay Kumar has been appointed as the head coach of the Karnataka senior men’s cricket team. This decision comes ahead of the 2026/27 domestic season, marking a significant step in Kumar’s coaching career following his retirement from professional cricket.
Vinay represented India in one Test, 31 ODIs, and nine T20Is. He was also part of IPL-winning campaigns with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 and Mumbai Indians in 2015 and 2017. He remains the highest wicket-taker among seamers in Ranji Trophy history with 442 wickets and stands in the fourth spot on the all-time list in India’s premier red-ball tournament. In a first-class career spanning 139 matches, Vinay picked up 504 wickets at an average of 22.44. As captain, Vinay etched his name in domestic cricket folklore by leading Karnataka to an unprecedented ‘double-treble’ – winning the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Irani Cup back-to-back across the 2013/14 and 2014/15 seasons.
Former Karnataka and Vidarbha batter Ganesh Satish has been appointed as U23 men’s coach, while former player Kunal Kapoor, who was working with the U16s for the past few years, is now U19 men’s coach, and SN Ameet will serve as senior women’s and U23 head coach.
