PANAJI
Former Goa captain Swapnil Asnodkar has been appointed as the new batting coach of Nagaland for the upcoming domestic season.
Asnodkar, a prolific run scorer in domestic cricket, has also been the U-25 head coach for Goa on previous occasion. He was one of the most talked about players in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008, where he featured for Rajasthan Royals.
During last season, Asnodkar was the batting coach for India U-19 boys’ team.
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. Thank you Nagaland Cricket Association for showing faith in my coaching and giving me this opportunity", Swapnil wrote on his facebook account.
An attacking, diminutive opener, in his domestic cricket career spanning nearly 17 years from 2001-2018, Asnodkar has been Goa’s leading run-scorer in first-class cricket with 5,883 runs which includes 14 100s and 25 50s. The 2007-08 Ranji season was his best wherein he scored 640 runs at 71.11 with a personal best of 254 not out against Railways.
Asnodkar is also remembered for this impressive IPL debut with the Rajasthan Royals in 2008 where he formed a powerful opening partnership with South African captain Graeme Smith. Together they scored 418 runs at an average of 59.71. His fearless style of play evoked memories of Sri Lanka's Romesh Kaluwitharana and won the praise of his captain Shane Warne.
While Asnodkar is the batting coach, former India international Debashish Mohanty, who has featured in two Tests and 45 ODIs for India, will be the new head coach of Nagaland.
The new domestic season starts with the Duleep Trophy, followed by the Irani Trophy, then the Ranji Trophy which commences on 11 October 2024, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Nagaland has been placed along with Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Sikkim in the Ranji Plate group this season. The winner of Plate division will qualify for the Elite division for the next Ranji season.
