T20 World Cup: Not Rohit's playing XI, here's how Team India's backroom staff looks like

A 14-member strong Indian squad, led by captain Rohit Sharma travelled to Australia for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 earlier this month. Interestingly, the support staff that travelled to Australia along with the India squad outnumbered the cricketers themselves.  Although the squad is yet to be joined by a player who will be Jasprit Bumrah’s replacement in the team, the team of backroom staff included a total of 16 members, including head coach Rahul Dravid.

Here’s a closer look at Team India’s backroom staff for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022.

Head coach - Rahul Dravid

Indian cricket legend Rahul Dravid is the man in charge of handling the exciting group of Indian cricketers who will fight for their second T20 World Cup title in Australia. He took over the Indian team following the end of Ravi Shastri’s tenure after the T20 World Cup last year with much hype. Since then, India has managed to tick off boxes from their list of improvements and this will be Dravid’s first major ICC tournament as the India coach.

Batting coach - Vikram Rathour

Former India opener Vikram Rathour is in charge of helping the player with their batting skills. Rathour is known for sharing a close bond with the current crop of players, having spent time with the team during Ravi Shastri’s tenure too. He was reappointed as the batting coach in November 2021. 

Bowling coach - Paras Mhambrey

Paras Mhambrey is in charge of India’s bowling unit and is known to be a close ally of coach Dravid. Being his most trusted colleague, Mhambrey has been working with Dravid since 2016. His repertoire also includes working in the Indian domestic circuit and also in the Indian Premier League (IPL) for Mumbai Indians. 

Fielding coach - T Dilip

T Dilip was appointed as the fielding coach of India after Rahul Dravid assumed his role as the head coach. Having worked with the Hyderabad Ranji side and India A team, Dilip will be in charge of India’s fielding skills on the field at the T20 World Cup 2022. 

Masseuse - Arun Kanade

The Team India Masseuse Arun Kanade is in charge of making sure the Indian players, especially the pace bowlers are relaxed before playing their World Cup games. Kanade is responsible for making sure layers don’t pick injuries and recover after their games. He has previously worked with the IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore and has been associated with Team India for the last five years. 

Team video analyst - Hari Mohan

Hari Mohan is tasked with the job of providing all data and stats needed by the team on the field. His assessment as a video analyst helps India with vital input about themselves and the opponent ahead of the games.

Throwdown professional - Dayanand Garani

Dayanand Garani has been associated with the India squad, ever since he was called in as a replacement for Throwdown specialist Raghu ahead of India’s tour of Australia in 2020. He has previously provided his services for Punjab Kings in the IPL and Andhra Pradesh’s Ranji side.

Throwdown specialist - Nuwan Seneviratne

Nuwan Seneviratne worked as Sri Lanka’s fielding coach for a decade and joined the Indian squad in 2018. The Sri Lankan is tasked with the job of helping the batters to combat the threat of left-arm pacers. 

Team Doctor - Dr Charles Minz

Dr Charles Minz is a Pune-based general physician, who has served as a consultant for several teams like Pune Super Giants in the IPL, Puneri Paltan in the Pro Kabaddi League, and Pune FC in Indian Super League. In 2020, he was roped in by RCB and was tasked with maintaining a healthy bio-bubble.

Strength coach - Soham Desai 

Soham Desai is an Indian strength and conditioning coach, whose job is to make sure the players have accurate fitness levels before they play. He plans different fitness drills for the team, while also planning a diet for them.

Mental coach - Paddy Upton

Paddy Upton was a crucial member of the support staff behind India’s 2011 ODI World Cup triumph.  He has previously worked as South Africa’s performance director for three years. Having worked with Dravid for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, he has been reunited with the legend for the T20 World Cup 2022. 

Producer, BCCI media - Rajlaxmi Arora

Rajlaxmi Arora’s main responsibility is to strengthen the bond between Team India players and their fans. She is in charge of the player interviews before a tour or series. She also heads BCCI’s internal complaints committee, which deals with critical issues like Sexual harassment.  - 

Head Physiotherapist - Kamlesh Jain

Kamlesh Jain is tasked with the well-being of the Indian players. His job is to assess the fitness levels of players ahead of any match, while also helping them to recover from minor injuries suffered during matches.

Assitsant Physio - Yogesh Parmar

Yogesh Parmar works closely with Kamlesh to main a healthy state for the players. He monitors the fitness levels of players, taking the first look at player injuries and monitoring the recovery process of players.

Media Manager - Moulin Parikh

Moulin Parikh works as a Media Manager, who acts as a POC between the broadcasters and players. He has previously worked as a journalist. His job is to inform the broadcaster and media outlets about the players to be interviewed in the pre or post-match conferences.

Security Liaison Officer - Ravindra Doiphode 

Ravindra Doiphode’s job can be termed as the most important one for Team India as he ensures the safety of players. As a security Liason officer, he is on the lookout for suspicious elements while also monitoring any illegal approaches toward the players. He also keeps a check on any illegal approaches toward the squad members, which may concern fixing or compromising the integrity of the game. He is a retired ACP of the Mumbai Police.