Abhishek Nayar Sacked by BCCI Amid Team Changes

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to remove three members of the Indian cricket team's support staff, including assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, following a disappointing performance in the Border Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Nayar, who has been with the team for eight months, will be let go along with fielding coach T Dilip and trainer Soham Desai.

The decision comes after a series of news leaks from the dressing room, including reports of a player wanting to become interim captain and coach Gautam Gambhir blaming Sarfaraz Khan for the leaks. The BCCI had recently issued a notice stating that support staff who have been with the team for more than three years may be removed from service. No new appointments will be made in place of Nayar and Dilip, with Domestic cricket great Sitanshu Kotak taking over some of their roles, and Ryan ten Doeschate overseeing the fielding coach position.

Coach Gautam Gambhir has sought to downplay the dressing room issues, stating that debates between the coach and players should remain in the dressing room and that only performance can keep players in the setup. The rest of the support staff, including batting coach Sitanshu Kotak, bowling coach Morne Morkel, and assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate, will continue. Ten Doeschate will take over fielding coach duties, while Adrian le Roux will replace Soham Desai as trainer after the Indian Premier League.

The changes are seen as a reflection of Gautam Gambhir's growing influence within the team setup. Nayar, who was recommended by Gambhir and had the backing of skipper Rohit Sharma, may have been let go due to the team's batting struggles in Australia. The decision is expected to have a significant impact on the team's performance in the upcoming tour of England.