Thu Jan 16 22:18:32 UTC 2025: ## BCCI Appoints Sitanshu Kotak as Interim Batting Coach for England Series

**Mumbai, January 16, 2025** – The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed Sitanshu Kotak as batting coach for the upcoming limited-overs series against England, starting next week in Kolkata. This follows India’s disappointing performance in the recent Australia series, where several key batsmen struggled with consistent technical flaws.

Kotak, a Level-III coach with extensive experience at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and with India A teams, will join the squad in Kolkata on Saturday for a three-day camp before the first T20I on January 22nd. He boasts an impressive first-class record of over 8,000 runs, including 15 centuries. His appointment addresses the absence of a dedicated batting coach in the current support staff, with head coach Gautam Gambhir and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar previously sharing the responsibilities.

The BCCI’s decision comes after criticism of the team’s support staff, particularly regarding the batting coach’s role in addressing the technical issues of experienced players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While Kotak’s appointment is initially for the England series, sources suggest the BCCI may adopt a strategy of employing NCA coaches on a short-term, series-by-series basis in the future. This approach, mirroring the practice with the Indian women’s team, would utilize the NCA’s pool of experienced coaches, including Hrishikesh Kanitkar, to fill coaching roles as needed. The exact duration of Kotak’s appointment remains to be finalized.

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