Sanjay Bangar, the silent crusader of Indian team
VIRAT KOHLI, AFTER INDIA’S WIN AGAINST BANGLADESH IN THE ICC CHAMPIONS TROPHY, HAD CREDITED BANGAR FOR THE DEVELOPMENT IN HIS BATTING.
NEW DELHI: Anil Kumble’s exit from the Indian dressing room has put the focus on captain Virat Kohli and their ego clash. One person who has been their constant companion and may have seen the ego war from close quarters, however, continues to remain in the shadows.
That person is Sanjay Bangar. He is the batting coach and will be the go-to man for the India players on the West Indies tour. He will also have the help of MV Sridhar, who will look after the team management.
The soft-spoken all-rounder, who played for Railways and India, has been the national team’s batting coach in August, 2014 – a time which saw India performing poorly overseas.
PART OF TRANSITION
Since then, the 44-year-old Bangar has been part of a big transition – the stepping down of MS Dhoni and the rise of Kohli as captain. The latter handled the situation pretty well with Ravi Shastri and then Kumble being the guiding factor.
Bangar again finds himself in a transitional phase – a sudden one. Kumble’s statement about an ‘untenable’ relationship with Kohli has shown the Indian dressing room in bad light and the players are bound to feel the heat.
It is here that Bangar’s cool demeanour is needed.
Performance-wise, the Windies team doesn’t look to pose a major threat to India team, but the off-field developments have come as a letdown.
The strongly-worded statement of Kumble is bound to put Kohli and the players under pressure. It is here that former Kings XI Punjab coach Bangar should play a pro-active role.
The towering presence of Shastri and Kumble may have always kept Bangar, a veteran of 165 first-class matches and 12 Tests, in the background but his work has got praise from Kohli himself.
SILENT WORKER
The India captain, after his team’s win against Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy, had credited Bangar for the development in his batting.
The praise is good but will Bangar, who has been honest with his efforts, be satisfied. Or, will he stand his ground and keep the team together in crisis. This may decide how he will be remembered.