Team India is currently busy in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand, where it defeated the Kiwi team by 12 runs in the opening match. Earlier, Team India won the ODI series against Sri Lanka by 3-0. If seen, the Men in Blue have won five consecutive ODIs so far. The hard work and dedication of the players behind the recent success of the Indian team cannot be dismissed at all.
But the support staff of Team India also has an important role behind this success. The role of the support staff in the team is as important as the players. Their goal is to keep the players fit both physically and mentally. Virat Kohli also specifically mentioned three people from the three support staff after the Sri Lanka series.
Let us introduce you to the support staff of the Indian team…
1. Head Coach: Rahul Dravid
After the end of Ravi Shastri’s tenure, Rahul Dravid was made the head coach of Team India. Under the coaching of Dravid, the Indian team reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last year, where they had to face defeat at the hands of England. Dravid has a knack for mingling with youngsters and making them feel comfortable in the team environment. Under the guidance of Dravid, India’s Under-19 team was successful in winning the World Cup in the year 2018.
2. Batting Coach: Vikram Rathour
Vikram Singh Rathour replaced Sanjay Bangar as the batting coach after the 2019 ODI World Cup. His term was extended again in 2021. Vikram had earlier also been a member of the national selection committee led by Sandeep Patil. Rathore has the expertise to remove technical problems in the batting of young players.
3. Paras Mhambrey: Bowling coach
Paras Mhambrey was associated with the Under-19 and India-A team for a long time. Mhambrey has developed a pool of young Indian fast bowlers. Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur, Avesh Khan and the famous Krishna were helped by Mhambrey in the early years of their careers. Paras Mhambrey was appointed as the bowling coach in November 2021, replacing Bharat Arun.
4. T. Dileep: Fielding coach
T. Dileep used to be an all-rounder during his playing days. T. Dileep has completed the Level-3 coaching course and has previously worked as a coach for the Hyderabad team and the India-A side. Dilip had replaced R Sridhar in 2021. Dileep is considered a favorite of Dravid. Dilip has played an important role in improving the wicketkeeping skills of Ishaan Kishan, Rishabh Pant.
5. Physio: Kamlesh Jain and Yogesh Parmar
In June last year, Kamlesh Jain was appointed physio. Kamlesh Jain had replaced Nitin Patel, who had been associated with Team India as a physio for a long time. Before joining the Indian team, Kamlesh Jain worked with the IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders for almost 10 years. Apart from Kamlesh Jain, assistant physio Yogesh Parmar is also associated with the team.
6. Video Analyst: Hari Prasad Mohan
The importance of video analyst has increased a lot in the last decade. At present, this role is being played by Hari Prasad Mohan for Team India, who is busy keeping video footage of the opponents along with the Indian players. With this, he gets to know the shortcomings of the bowlers and batsmen, which is useful for the Indian team.
7. Massage Therapist: Arun Kanade
Arun Kanade was appointed as the team’s massage therapist in place of Ramesh Mane. Ramesh Mane had worked with the Indian team for almost a decade and the players fondly called him ‘Mane Kaka’. Arun Kanade has worked with Royal Challengers Bangalore and has been a part of the Indian team for almost five years.
8. Strength & Conditioning Coach: Soham Desai
India’s conditioning specialist Soham Desai is responsible for ensuring the fitness level of the players before they take the field. Along with making a diet plan for the players, he guides them through fitness exercises. Soham Desai has also worked on the fitness of the Gujarat Ranji team. Soham’s fitness is amazing. Along with the players in the gym, he works hard on himself as well.
9. Throwdown Specialists: Raghuvendra, Nuvan and Dayanand
Virat Kohli praised Raghuvendra, Nuwan Seneviratne and Dayanand Garani after the end of the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Indian players call Raghuvendra as ‘Raghu’. Raghu throws the ball down at a speed of about 150 kilometers per hour. Talking about Nuwan Seneviratne of Sri Lanka, he helps the batsmen to practice better by bowling with the left hand. Whereas Dayanand Garani has the ability to bowl with both hands.