Bengaluru: A tireless pacer, a sharp fielder, a dependable batter and Karnataka’s most successful captain, R Vinay Kumar is set for a fresh challenge with his home team. The 42-year-old’s appointment as the head coach of the state senior team was on Thursday ratified by the KSCA managing committee. This will be Vinay’s maiden senior domestic team assignment, having coached franchise teams like MI Emirates in the UAE's ILT20 and the Hubli Tigers in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament. Vinay will have his former teammate Deepak Chougale as the fielding coach, which means the former all-rounder will handle the batting and bowling departments.
“It's a great feeling to start my domestic cricket coaching journey with Karnataka, where I played most of my cricket and made some great memories,” Vinay told TOI after his appointment was made official. “It's one of the finest opportunities for me to go forward and it's my privilege to coach the Karnataka team,” he added. The Karnataka team, for a decade now, has failed to replicate the success achieved under Vinay’s leadership. Vinay, who has served as a talent scout for Mumbai Indians for about four seasons, believes there is no shortage of talent in the state. “Talent was never a problem, we have plenty of it. I can vouch for it, having observed both as a coach in Maharaja Trophy and as a scout. What I feel is missing is attitude,” he pointed out. Dwelling on what he is looking forward to, Vinay said, “For me, it's all about bringing everyone together and trying to work on one goal and achieve it with a bigger picture of the development of cricket in the state.” “We would love to win many trophies, which is the end result to achieve. For that, we need to tick all the boxes.” Vinay is confident that his observations of Karnataka cricket as a scout and franchise coach have helped him assess the talent available. “That will be the biggest advantage for me because as a scout, I've been watching them very closely for the last 4-5 years. As the Hubli Tigers coach, I got to work with some of them and watch most of the others closely. Also, given my love for Karnataka cricket, I’ve always been connected by watching on television and tracking scores, not just of the senior team, but across age groups. So I know our strengths and also our shortcomings,” Vinay explained. Having scouted across the country, Vinay is also acquainted with opposition players as well. “I know about other state players as well in terms of upcoming players and what they are working on and also their mindset. That I feel will give me an edge,” he added. Karnataka, who finished runners-up to Jammu & Kashmir in the previous edition of the Ranji Trophy, believes the success of the team will help the players individually. “Everything is taken care of once the team starts winning. The best example is Auqib Nabi who came into the Indian team recently on the strength of his performance for J&K.” Vinay was also of the opinion that it is unfair to sit back and say the team is in a transition phase. “We have good talent, it is about channelising their energy and attitude towards a common goal. This is a transition phase, but the moment we start talking about it, we might take it a little easier. Players just need to grab opportunities with both hands. There is nothing as a young age anymore, for proof we have Vaibhav Sooryavanshi,” Vinay explained. The other coaches in the mix include Vinay’s former teammates like Ganesh Satish (U-23), Kunal Kapoor and Raajoo Bhatkal (U-19), which, according to Vinay, will help in maintaining a supply chain of players. “I’ve either played or even captained most of the players, so we know each other well, which will help us communicate better. The moment coaches and support staff work together, the entire cricket ecosystem of the state benefits. It's all about the supply chain because they will have to give me the clear picture on who they think are ready to graduate or need to be fast tracked into the senior team.” Karnataka coaches for the season: Men: Senior team: Head coach: R Vinay Kumar; Fielding coach: Deepak Chougule; U-23: Head coach: Ganesh Satish; Fielding coach: Rajshekar Shanbal; U-19: Head coach: Kunal Kapoor; Bowling coach: Raajoo Bhatkal; U-16: Head coach: Aditya Sagar; Assistant coach: CB Karthik; U-14: Head coach: M Guruprasad; Assistant coach: KV Bharat. Senior women: Head coach: SN Ameet (U-23 also); Fielding coach: Rakshitha Krishnappa; U-23: Fielding coach: Srivalli; U-19: Head coach: Mukunda G; Assistant coach: Roopa BN; U-15: Head coach: Guruprasad; Assistant coach: Chandu V.