Ramakrishnan Sridhar, widely known as R Sridhar, has been appointed as the assistant coach of the Afghanistan cricket team. His first assignment with the team will be a one-off Test match against New Zealand and a three-match ODI series against South Africa.
Having been India’s fielding coach from 2014 to 2021, Sridhar brings a wealth of experience to his new role. His future with Afghanistan will be evaluated based on his performance in these initial games, with the possibility of a long-term contract.
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How has R Sridhar's coaching journey been?
R Sridhar's coaching career has been extensive. Before joining Afghanistan, he served as India’s fielding coach for seven years. This was a period that saw him working closely with top players under the leadership of Ravi Shastri.
Before his tenure with the senior Indian team, Sridhar was involved in various coaching roles, including being the assistant coach for India U-19 at the 2014 U-19 World Cup in the UAE. He was also an assistant fielding and spin bowling coach at the National Cricket Academy (NCA).
His coaching career has also seen him working with IPL teams like Kings XI Punjab and domestic teams like Andhra and Tripura.
How has R Sridhar’s playing career been?
Before stepping into coaching, Sridhar represented Hyderabad in first-class cricket from 1989/90 to 2000/01. He played 35 first-class matches and 15 List A matches.
As a left-arm spinner, he took 91 first-class wickets and 14 List A wickets. Though his playing career was not extensive at the international level, it laid a foundation for his successful coaching career.
What did Afghanistan Cricket Board say on appointing R Sridhar?
Upon his appointment, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) released a statement expressing their hopes for Sridhar’s success with the team.
"It is worth mentioning that the Afghanistan Cricket Board has appointed Sridhar as the assistant coach for the one-off Test against New Zealand and the 3-match ODI series against South Africa. The Afghanistan Cricket Board wish Sridhar fills the role effectively and hope to have long term contract with him in the future."
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