Former Mumbai wicketkeeper-batsman, Vinayak Samant has been appointed as the new coach of the city's Ranji team for the upcoming Indian domestic season in 2018-19. The Mumbai Cricket Association(MCA) also announced Wilkin Mota as the coach of its Under 19 team.

The announcements were made by MCA Joint Secretary Unmesh Khanvilkar after the cricket body’s Cricket Improvement Committee met for a 2-day long discussion. 

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

Samant, who played 101 first class games for Mumbai and Tripura and amassed 3,496 runs with the highest score of 200 not out, outdid Pradeep Sundaram and former India off-spinner Ramesh Powar for the post. 

Happy about the news, Samant was quoted saying, “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,”

(Inputs from Indian Express)