Former Mumbai cricketer Vinayak Samant becomes the new head coach of Mumbai cricket team for the upcoming cricket season. Besides that, former Mumbai pacer Wilkin Mota has been appointed as the coach of Mumbai U-19 cricket team.

After Mumbai Cricket Association’s (MCA) Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC) organised a two-day meeting to decide on the new coach, the MCA joint secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar announced the appointment of the new coaches on Friday.

Khanvilkar told reporters, “The CIC has decided that Vinayak Samant will be the coach for Ranji team and Wilkin Mota for the Under 19 team.”

Also read: Abhishek Nayar Becomes The Coach Of The KKR Academy

The Mumbai coach post was vacant after Sameer Dighe stepped down from that role. Meanwhile, Mota replaced Satish Samant as a Mumbai U19 cricket team coach.

As a wicketkeeper, Samant played for Mumbai, Tripura and Assam in different seasons. In overall, he played 101 first-class matches, 45 List A games and 11 T20s from 1995 to 2012.

Also read: Indian cricketers feeling proud on Hima Das’ historic achievement

Earlier, Samant was Mumbai U-23 coach who won the 2015/16 Col CK Nayudu Trophy. The 45-year-old is very happy after getting this big role.

After getting this important role, Samant said, “I’m very glad and very happy, but at the same time I know that it’s a very big responsibility on me. I’m sure that I will fulfil with very positive results. So I’m hoping my presence will benefit players as well as the association. Let’s hope for best.”

Also read: SC doesn’t allow the outstation players in TNPL

For this job, Samant beat former Rajasthan pacer Pradeep Sundaram and former India and Mumbai off-spinner Ramesh Powar, who were also in the race.

In this year, Power quit the spin bowling coach role of the MCA academy.

When Khanvilkar was asked about not selecting Power for Mumbai coaching role, he said: “They (Managing Committee) said that there were some issues. There is a resolution that those who had quit their coaching assignments midway will not be considered again.”