Karnataka Names Former RCB Pacer as Head Coach for 2026-27 Domestic Season
Vinay Kumar becomes Karnataka head coach for the 2026-27 season, aiming to lead the eight-time Ranji champions back to title success.
Former India fast bowler Vinay Kumar has been named the new head coach of the Karnataka senior men’s cricket team for the 2026-27 domestic season. The former Karnataka captain returns to lead the state side with the goal of bringing domestic trophies back to one of India’s most successful teams.
Vinay replaces Yere Goud, who has joined the BCCI Centre of Excellence as a batting coach after guiding Karnataka to the Ranji Trophy final last season. The Karnataka State Cricket Association has also appointed Deepak Chougule as the fielding coach, while Mansur Ali Khan will continue as the bowling coach.
Karnataka, an eight-time Ranji Trophy champion, has not won a red-ball title since Vinay’s playing days. His biggest task will be to help the team end that wait and return to the top of Indian domestic cricket.
Vinay is one of Karnataka’s greatest domestic cricketers. As captain, he led the team to back-to-back domestic trebles in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons by winning the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Irani Cup in successive years. Those achievements remain among the finest periods in Karnataka cricket history.
Even before his appointment is formally approved by the KSCA Managing Committee, Vinay has started preparing the squad for the new season. He recently conducted a specialised pre-season camp for Karnataka’s fast bowlers, with senior pacers V. Vyshak and Vidwath Kaverappa among those taking part.
His preparations will continue later this month with a two-week training camp at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The camp will serve as the team’s build-up to the Dr (Capt) K. Thimmappiah Memorial Cricket Tournament, an important step before the domestic season begins.
Vinay also brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience. He represented India in Tests, One-Day Internationals, and T20 Internationals, claimed 504 wickets in first-class cricket, including a record 442 wickets in the Ranji Trophy, and previously coached the Hubli Tigers in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament.
With a strong support staff and a deep understanding of Karnataka cricket, Vinay Kumar will hope to guide the state back to domestic glory in the 2026-27 season.
