Nayar had joined the Indian team as assistant coach in July 2024, stepping away from his role with Kolkata Knight Riders
Abhishek Nayar with Gautam Gambhir (Pic: AFP)
In a significant shake-up within Indian cricket, support staff members Abhishek Nayar, T. Dilip, and Soham Desai are reportedly set to be relieved of their roles with the India men’s national team. According to sources cited by IANS, a team masseur, whose identity remains undisclosed, has also been released from the setup.
Nayar had joined the Indian team as assistant coach in July 2024, stepping away from his role with Kolkata Knight Riders. Dilip and Desai, on the other hand, have been part of the team since November 2021 and October 2020 respectively. All four were part of India’s triumphant campaign in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, where the team remained unbeaten en route to lifting the title in Dubai.
Speculation about the decision has pointed to concerns within the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) over the growing size of the support staff. A source told IANS: “Some people in the Board had been saying about what's the point of having so many people in men's team support staff, especially after the debacle of Test series defeat in Australia. They had this view that with so many coaches there, the support staff of the men's team gave a crowded look.”
However, the decision is not being framed as a sacking, but rather an effort to streamline the support system. “So, this can't be called sacking, it's just about giving the support staff a lean look. Also, this can't make the likes of Nayar, Dilip and Desai as good or bad coaches, because they still have a lot more to offer to Indian cricket and shaping its future players," added the source.
Nayar has been widely credited by Indian players, including KL Rahul, for helping instill a mindset transformation in white-ball cricket. Similarly, Dilip received accolades for raising India’s fielding standards to elite levels during his tenure. The masseur, too, is believed to have served the team for several years.
Going forward, Nayar and Dilip’s responsibilities will reportedly be taken over by batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, the latter having previously served as fielding coach at KKR under head coach Gautam Gambhir, now at the helm of the Indian team.
For Desai’s replacement, Adrian Le Roux has emerged as a frontrunner. Currently the strength and conditioning coach for the Punjab Kings in the IPL, Le Roux has past experience with India from 2002 to 2003 and also spent over a decade with KKR (2008–2019).
India’s next major international challenge is a five-match Test series in England, set to begin on June 20.
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
