Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) may extend Gyanendra Pandey’s successful red-ball mandate to white-ball cricket, with former Team India pacer Sudeep Tyagi emerging as a strong contender for a coaching or bowling coach role.
Uttar Pradesh’s encouraging first half of the new Ranji Trophy season has put coach Pandey firmly in the spotlight. Under the former India spinner, one of the most successful coaches in Uttar Pradesh cricket’s history, the side has shown resilience and tactical clarity, including a spirited fightback against Baroda at the ongoing Ranji Trophy match.
With the UPCA already moving towards a split coaching model this season, Pandey is now likely to be entrusted with the white-ball teams as well. “Yes, Gyanendra Pandey can be considered for the coach’s post of the white ball cricket as under his guidance, our men have been doing well this season,” UPCA’s secretary Prem Manohar Gupta said on Tuesday.
He, however, said that nothing was finalised yet as Tyagi is also one of the candidates for the white ball coach’s or bowling coach’s posts. “We will take a final call on this soon as the white ball season starts with Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches in Mumbai on November 14,” he added.
If Tyagi is named coach or bowling coach, it would be the first time when he takes up such a role with the state, and his credentials make the proposition compelling. Tyagi’s rise was one of the most striking stories in UP cricket. Making his Ranji Trophy debut in 2007, the tall seamer announced himself with a ten-wicket match haul against Odisha, including six wickets in the first innings. He picked 41 wickets in that debut season, finishing as the country’s leading wicket-taker and powering UP to the Ranji Trophy final.
Across a 13-year career, he took 109 wickets in 41 first-class matches and 47 wickets in 46 limited-overs games, with the bulk of his domestic career representing UP.
Tyagi’s performances in the IPL, particularly for Chennai Super Kings in 2009, earned him national recognition. He made his India debut in 2009, playing four ODIs and one T20I, and dismissed Kumar Sangakkara as his first international wicket. Though injuries interrupted a promising international journey, his understanding of pace bowling, match situations and the demands of white-ball cricket remains considerable.
For UPCA, the choice represents two complementary visions as Pandey’s proven ability to build a competitive red-ball unit, and Tyagi’s specialist insight into fast bowling and shorter-format skills. If Tyagi is appointed, UP’s young quicks would gain access to a coach who has lived the transition from domestic breakthrough to India colours.