Balaji removed as Tamil Nadu coach, Senthilnathan takes charge

CHENNAI: For the third year in a row, Tamil Nadu will have a new men’s team head coach. Former India U-19 captain and TN’s Ranji Trophy-winning member M Senthilnathan will replace L Balaji, who came in place of Mumbai man Sulakshan Kulkarni last season.

It comes as a surprise to most in TN cricket circles, given the respect that Balaji commands. The former India paceman, who led TN to the 2011-12 Ranji final, was the state team’s bowling coach under Kulkarni. He took over as the chief coach when the latter left midway through his two-year contract following a controversy involving captain R Sai Kishore.

“Balaji was a players’ favourite and the TNCA Cricket Advisory Committee’s decision not to renew his contract was quite surprising,” a source close to the developments told TOI.

Balaji, as TN chief coach, even attended the coaches’ seminar organised by the NCA and TNCA about a month ago. There were not too many indications at that stage that his contract would not be renewed. The only thing that could have gone against Balaji was the fact that the team crashed out in the quarterfinal phase of the Ranji Trophy. TN, often carrying the tag of a ‘white-ball powerhouse’, were knocked out in the early stages of the two shorter-format competitions.

During the Ranji Trophy, Balaji could not attend two games due to health reasons, and it is a matter of conjecture whether that was held against him.

Meanwhile, Senthilnathan, who had served as the TN senior selection committee chairman, comes in with quite a bit of experience, thanks to his stint at the MRF Pace Foundation. He will have the company of batting coach Tanveer Jabbar and bowling coach T Kumaran, a former India pacer. Tanveer is the only member to be retained from the previous coaching group.

After officially taking up the baton, Senthilnathan set the bar high. “All of us in TN cricket want to win the Ranji Trophy (they last bagged it in 1987-88). But now that I have been given the opportunity, I want to win all three titles (Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy being the other two). Why only Ranji Trophy? Why can TN not do it?” Senthilnathan told TOI.

“Every coach comes into a team with a mindset to win titles. When TN last won the Ranji Trophy, I was part of the team. Hopefully, my luck will change it (fortunes),” Senthilnathan said of ending a near four-decade trophy wait in the premier red-ball tournament.

The newly-appointed head coach emphasised that he will focus on the team delivering a fearless brand of cricket and providing good “role clarity” to the players.

Chief selector Vasudeva Das retained: Former TN batter Vasudeva Das will continue in his role as the chairman of the five-member senior selection panel. Guru Kedarnath, who served as the bowling coach of the senior team last season, has taken over as U-23 side’s head coach. Former India U-19 and TN player Yo Mahesh has been appointed as the chief coach of the U-19 team.