5 former cricketers you might not know were Head coaches in IPL before

By Nesara VJ Nov 20, 2022, 16:56 IST

It is a common trend that former cricketers get appointed as Head Coaches of an IPL side. In this regard, we have seen the likes of Stephen Fleming, Mahela Jayawardene and Ricky Ponting enjoy good success. While franchises are now providing a few years for the coaches to prove, back then, this was not there. Hence, the stints of many coaches who were at the helm for a short term went unnoticed. In this article, we take a look at five former cricketers you might not know were Head coaches in IPL before.

Even now, we can see recently retired cricketers likely to have an impact as Head Coaches. In a short while, we could also see former cricketers such as Eoin Morgan and Darren Sammy becoming the Head Coach of an IPL franchise.

1) Venkatesh Prasad (Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2008)

Venkatesh Prasad is one of the former cricketers you might not know were Head coaches in IPL before. RCB did not enjoy a great start to IPL. They finished seventh in their first campaign and for that outing, it was former pacer Venkatesh Prasad who coached the side. Later on, Venkatesh did don the role of a bowling coach for many franchises but did not get a chance as a Head Coach.

2) Michael Bevan (Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2011)

Not many remember that Michael Bevan was also an IPL Head Coach once. Considering the record he had as a cricketer, it could have been an easy transition to a coach. However, it was not to be for the former Aussie batter. He was there at the helm for a very short time and then did not get a lot of chances.

3) Shaun Pollock (Mumbai Indians in IPL 2009)

Shaun Pollock is also one of the former cricketers you might not know were Head coaches in IPL before. In 2009, the former South African skipper was the Head Coach of Mumbai Indians. The franchise had an improved campaign but still could not leave an impact. Later, he also had a stint as a bowling coach.

4) Brad Hodge (Gujarat Lions in IPL 2016 and 2017)

Brad Hodge was a fine T20 cricketer. During his playing time, many teams usually went behind him in the auctions. In 2016 and 2017, he was the Head Coach of Gujarat Lions. The franchise had a mixed campaign but Hodge did not get further chances in the league as a coach.

5) Robin Singh (Mumbai Indians in IPL 2010, 2011 and 2012)

Robin Singh is also a part of this list of former cricketers you might not know were Head coaches in IPL before. The former India all-rounder is one of the domestic coaches who got an opportunity for a long time. Mumbai Indians built a strong team during this time and from 2013, they were unstoppable. Currently, Robin is the Head Coach of the UAE Cricket Team.