Gary Kirsten replaces Vettori as RCB coach

Sports Desk: Gary Kirsten has been appointed head coach and mentor of IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Kirsten had joined the RCB set-up earlier this year as batting coach. He replaces Daniel Vettori, who was with the side for last eight years - initially as a player and then, since 2014, as a coach.

Kirsten's appointment comes on the back of strong coaching credentials. It was under his coaching stint - from 2008 till 2011 - that India lifted the 2011 World Cup, apart from topping the Test rankings. After that, he moved on to coach his old national side, South Africa, taking them to the summit of Test rankings as well.

However this is not Kirsten's first assignment as a head coach in the IPL; he coached Delhi Daredevils for two seasons, in 2014 and 2015, both times with little success. He was also the head coach of Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League in 2017.

In a statement from the franchise, Sanjeev Churiwala, the RCB chairman, said: "During the last IPL season, Gary has proved to be a brilliant mentor to both seasoned and young RCB players and we are confident that he will bring a fresh perspective to the team."

In 11 editions of the IPL, RCB have never been able to win the title despite having some of the best T20 players over the years in Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Dale Steyn, and Mitchell Starc. In 2018, they failed to make it to the playoffs and finished sixth on the points table.

Source: ESPNcricinfo.com


risingbd/Dhaka/Aug 30, 2018/AI