CRICKET POLL

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have appointed Omkar Salvi as the new bowling coach of their men's side for the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Salvi has been making waves in the domestic circuit as coach after having guided the Mumbai senior men's side to their first Ranji Trophy title in eight years. Later in the year, Mumbai also won the Irani Cup clash against Rest of India under Salvi. The 46-year-old was also part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) coaching staff when they won the IPL title in the 2024 season.

The stint with KKR, albeit a brief one, remains Salvi's only prior experience in the IPL as he gears up for his challenge at RCB. He is expected to start his stint for the IPL franchise at the end of the ongoing Indian domestic season.

RCB's Director of Cricket, Mo Bobat, was elated at Salvi's signing and is hopeful that the Mumbaikar will play a crucial role in changing the fortunes of the franchise that is chasing the elusive IPL title. A strong bowling attack and coaching staff is mandatory for being an efficient T20 side and Bobat expects Salvi's inclusion to be a boost in that regard.

"We're thrilled to welcome Omkar Salvi as RCB's Bowling Coach. With his vast experience, especially in developing fast bowlers, and proven success at the domestic and IPL levels, he's the perfect fit for our coaching team. Omkar's technical expertise, local knowledge and leadership will add huge value to our squad and environment," Bobat said.

Salvi will be joining hands with Dinesh Karthik after the latter was appointed as RCB's batting coach for the upcoming season. The duo had previously worked in unison during Karthik's KKR days.