MCA hires former India World Cup winning manager as the advisor for an upcoming T20 league

The Mumbai Cricket Association announced on Saturday that former India cricketer Lalchand Rajput will serve as advisor for the T20 Mumbai League, which is provisionally set to begin on May 27. The inaugural edition of the T20 Mumbai League was conducted in 2018 and the second in 2019, but the competition was cancelled thereafter. Both editions included eight teams each.

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MCA appoints Lalchand Rajput as the advisor for T20 Mumbai League

Along with Rajput's selection to restart the competition, the MCA also named Raju Kulkarni, a former India and Mumbai bowler, as chairman of its Cricket Improvement Committee (CIC). Kulkarni, who played three Tests and ten ODIs for India from 1986 to 1987, is also the current chairman of Mumbai's men's U-23 and senior selection committees.

The other two CIC members are Sahil Kukreja, a former Mumbai player, and Preeti Dimri, a former India cricketer.

The MCA also announced the hiring of former India captain Diana Edulji as women's cricket advisor, and former Mumbai skipper and top selector Milind Rege as men's cricket adviser. 

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Who is Lalchand Rajput?

Lalchand Rajput, who played two Tests and four ODIs for India in the 1980s, coached the Indian squad that won the first T20 World Cup in 2007. Rajput also coached Afghanistan from 2016 to 2017, during which time the side was granted Test status by the International Cricket Council. He also coached Zimbabwe from 2018 to 2022, helping the team qualify for the Men's T20 World Cup in 2022.