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Former India batting coach Vikram Rathour has joined the New Zealand support staff for the upcoming one-off Test match against Afghanistan in Greater Noida, starting from September 9. At the same time, New Zealand also announced that Sri Lanka legend Rangana Herath will be the spin bowling coach for their upcoming Test match versus Afghanistan along with the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka shortly after.
Notably, Vikram Rathour was the part of the Rahul Dravid-led coaching staff of the Indian cricket team up until June of this year, and his tenure ended with them winning the T20 World Cup 2024. Meanwhile, Rangana Herath, who is the highest wicket-taker in Tests among the left-arm spinners, replaced Saqlain Mushtaq as the spin bowling coach of New Zealand, who was supposed to take charge temporarily, only to join the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) instead, according to the report from Cricbuzz.
We're really excited to introduce Rangana and Vikram into our Test group: New Zealand head coach
Gary Stead, the head coach of New Zealand, welcomed Vikram Rathour and Rangana Herath into their Test group with open arms, talking about how they are looking to gain valuable insights during their Test tours of the subcontinent. He said, “We're really excited to introduce Rangana and Vikram into our Test group. Both men are held in high regard in the world of cricket and I know our players are really looking forward to the opportunity to learn from them.”
Furthermore, Gary Stead also spoke about how their left-arm spin trio of Ajaz Patel, Mitchell Santner, and Rachin Ravindra will benefit from working alongside Rangana Herath in the next month or so. He said, “For our three left-arm orthodox spinners in particular, Ajaz, Mitch and Rachin, having the chance to work with Rangana across three Tests in the sub-continent will be hugely beneficial. Rangana has taken over 100 Test wickets in Galle which is the venue of our two Tests against Sri Lanka and so his knowledge of that venue will be priceless.”
New Zealand are slated to play six Tests in subcontinent across two months
After taking on Afghanistan at the Greater Noida Stadium from September 9 onwards in the one-off Test match, New Zealand will head to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series, starting on September 18. Following that, New Zealand are slated to play against India in a three-match Test series from October 16 onwards, which would mean six Tests in total in the subcontinent across two months.
