Punjab may not renew Anil Kumble's contract as the head coach for the next season- Reports

As per recent reports, Punjab will not renew Anil Kumble's contract as the head coach in the Indian T20 League. The franchise is reported to sign a new coach for the upcoming season. Punjab is one of the few teams that hasn't won the coveted Indian T20 League trophy since the beginning of the competition.

Their rebranding of the team hasn't yet affected their situation in the tournament either. In fact, the team hasn't competed in the playoffs since the 2014 season, when they advanced to the finals and finished as runners-up. Meanwhile, Brendon McCullum left his position as head coach of Kolkata recently to become the head coach of the England Test team, and Chandrakant Pandit was named as his replacement.

Sources claim that the team will not extend Kumble's three-year contract, which expires next month. Eoin Morgan and Trevor Bayliss are expected to have been contacted to take his place. The source also mentioned that an Indian coach had been contacted, though it was not made clear who it was. In a week, the franchise will confirm the new appointment.

"The Mohali team has apparently decided not to renew Anil Kumble’s three-year contract, which ends this September. They are already in search of candidates. It is learnt that their representatives have approached the likes of Eoin Morgan, Trevor Bayliss and one former India coach. Eventually one of them or none of them may get the posting. A Punjab Kings official said they will decide in a week’s time," a Cricbuzz was quoted as saying.

Punjab under Anil Kumble

Punjab won 19 of the 42 games they played while Kumble served as their head coach. Despite fielding a strong squad that included Liam Livingstone, Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, and Kagiso Rabada last season, the franchise finished sixth with seven wins in 14 games. KL Rahul had opted out of being retained by the franchise ahead of the 2022 season, which raised many eyebrows.