Soham Desai, the Indian men’s cricket team’s long-serving strength and conditioning coach, officially announced his departure on Saturday, May 31. His exit comes amid sweeping changes in India’s support staff setup following the team’s disappointing Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) campaign earlier this year.
Soham Desai confirms exit as India’s S&C coach
As for Soham Desai, he had been a part of the Indian setup since the Ravi Shastri era, serving through multiple coaching staffs and playing a key role in the team’s fitness transformation. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Desai summed up his journey as part of the Indian men’s cricket team, thanking former coach Ravi Shastri and captain Virat Kohli for backing him early in his career. He also acknowledged the continued faith shown by Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma.
Desai’s exit was anticipated after reports emerged last month that the BCCI had decided not to retain multiple support staff members. This included assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, fielding coach T Dilip, and an unnamed masseur as part of a leaner support staff strategy. Fascinatingly, Dilip has been reinstated by the BCCI, possibly due to Rohit Sharma’s influence. Although India won the 2025 Champions Trophy, the changes were reportedly triggered by the team’s prior Test series loss in Australia.
Mohammed Siraj pays tribute to his “mentor”
Soham Desai’s exit from the Indian cricket team has triggered an outpouring of appreciation, particularly from players who worked closely with him during his tenure. Among the most heartfelt tributes came from fast bowler Mohammed Siraj, who took to social media to express his respect for Desai’s influence both professionally and personally.
“It’s never easy to say goodbye to someone who’s been more than just a coach,” Siraj wrote. “You’ve been a mentor, a guide, a brother. This is not the end but see you later. Your impact will stay with me forever — in the dressing room, the gym, and every sprint we run.”
Siraj was a workhorse under Desai’s tutelage. Since 2022, Siraj has been India’s most-used bowler (among pacers) across formats. In played 80 international games in this period, bowling a whopping 916.1 overs, 141 overs more than the second player on the list, Jasprit Bumrah. It says a lot about Siraj’s fitness, in which Desai seemingly played a major part!
Meanwhile, the BCCI has yet to officially announce his successor, but Adrian le Roux is reportedly among the frontrunners. Le Roux, currently with the Punjab Kings coaching staff, has previous experience with the Indian national team and could be reinstated ahead of the five-match Test series in England, beginning shortly.
