Reports: Kings XI Punjab express desire to hire Anil Kumble as Head Coach for IPL 2020

Kings XI Punjab express desire to hire Anil Kumble: The franchise from the northern-most part of India is without a head coach.

With head coach Mike Hesson moving to Royal Challengers Bangalore as the Director of Cricket Operations, Indian Premier League franchise Kings XI Punjab are without a head coach at this point in time.

While Royal Challengers have appointed former Australia batsman Simon Katich as their head coach, Kolkata Knight Riders have appointed former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum as their head coach.

As far as Sunrisers Hyderabad are concerned, they have replaced Tom Moody with former England coach Trevor Bayliss.

Kings XI Punjab express desire to hire Anil Kumble

If a latest report in Mumbai Mirror is to be believed, Punjab are eyeing legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble as their coach for the upcoming IPL season. It is further reported that the decision will be taken when the owners of the franchise will meet Kumble in Mumbai soon.

Having led Royal Challengers in the past, Kumble has been part of the support staff of both RCB and Mumbai Indians. The 48-year old has also coached the Indian national team for a brief period.

It was earlier reported that Kings XI have shortlisted four Australian candidates for the position of their head coach. With the date of the next IPL auction being announced yesterday, Kings XI would be eager to zero in on one name as soon as possible.

While there hasn’t been a confirmation, there were reports of Delhi Capitals showing interest in KXIP captain Ravichandran Ashwin for IPL 2020.

Punjab are among the three teams who are yet to win a title despite having played in the IPL since its inaugural season. While Punjab have tried several captain-coach combinations over the years, the poor execution of their plans seems to be a massive concern for them.