Ramesh Powar retained as India women’s team coach

The former off-spinner will stay in the job for another year, ending questions whether the poor show in the ODI World Cup will lead to his removal

Former India spinner Ramesh Powar has been retained as the India women’s team coach, a BCCI official said on Wednesday. “Ramesh will be the coach of the Indian women’s team for another year. He will work closely with the women cricketers in the coming months,” the official said.

File photo of Harmanpreet Kaur with India women’s team coach Ramesh Powar  (Twitter)

There had been doubts whether he will retain his post after India, the 2017 finalists, failed to qualify for the semi-finals at this year’s ODI World Cup in New Zealand. The team also lost to England, Australia and New Zealand in the build-up.

Powar has been interacting with the national selectors and the National Cricket Academy asking for the kind of players he wants for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and holding special camps in Bengaluru. He was re-appointed in place of former India opener WV Raman, who took over after Powar was axed from the post following the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean in 2018.

India’s campaign there had ended amid controversy in the camp after a decision to drop senior batter Mithali Raj from the playing eleven by Powar and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.