Gary Kirsten promoted to head coach at RCB

Gary Kirsten has been appointed the Head Coach of Royal Challengers Bangalore for the next season of the IPL.

Former South African opener Gary Kirsten has been promoted from the position of a Batting Coach to a Head Coach at Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. Kirsten had joined the franchise last year and has received the advancement within a year.

Kirsten will replace former New Zealand and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori as the Head Coach. Vettori had joined the franchise in 2011 as a player. After playing for a couple of years, he started his coaching stint in the year 2013.

What is believed to be a major reason behind this change is RCB’s inability of winning the IPL trophy under Vettori for the last six years. Not just these six years, RCB is yet to register an IPL title under their belt. They are one of the three teams (Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab being the other two) who are present from the inception of the tournament and is yet to win an IPL title.

“I am extremely grateful for the eight years I have spent with RCB, as a player and a coach and I wish the franchise all the best moving forward,” Daniel Vettori said on his eight-year relation with the franchise.

It might be an urge to win a title which could have played a role in the coming up of this decision. Virat Kohli, captain of RCB, might have also played a role in this decision was Kohli was a member of the Indian team which won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 under Kirsten’s coaching.

Expressing his feelings on the occasion, Kirsten was quoted, “I had the privilege of coaching with the RCB team last season under head coach Daniel Vettori and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I look forward to continuing the journey with RCB and doing my best to help the franchise reach its potential. I want to thank the team management for considering me in a leadership position with the franchise and I look forward to a successful few years.”

Other than his coaching stint with the Indian team, Kirsten has formerly coached South Africa, Delhi Daredevils and Hobart Hurricanes as well.