Former India legspinner Sairaj Bahutule has joined Punjab Kings (PBKS) as their new spin bowling coach ahead of the 2026 IPL season. He replaces Sunil Joshi, who held the role from 2023 to 2025.
ESPNcricinfo understands Joshi decided to leave as he is set to take over as spin coach at BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
"Sairaj's deep understanding of the game, particularly his extensive experience in grooming domestic bowlers and managing strategy, will be invaluable to our side," PBKS CEO Satish Menon said. "His expertise aligns perfectly with our vision of building a strong and cohesive bowling unit for the season ahead."
Bahutule joins a backroom team that has Ricky Ponting as head coach, Brad Haddin as assistant coach, James Hopes as the fast bowling coach, and Trevor Gonsalves as assistant bowling coach.
"I'm really excited to join Punjab Kings as a spin bowling coach for the upcoming IPL season," Bahutule said. "This is a team that plays a different brand of cricket, and I can see the potential is massive. They have a bunch of talented players, and I'm looking forward to working with them to refine their skills and help them reach new heights."
Bahutule was the spin bowling coach at Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2025. He had also been RR's spin bowling coach from 2018 to 2021 before joining the National Cricket Academy and serving as support staff for India A assignments.
Bahutule's exit from RR follows Dravid's departure from the franchise as head coach. Dravid has been replaced by Kumar Sangakkara.
PBKS finished runners-up in IPL 2025 after finishing top of the points table in the league phase. They lost the final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs.