Vinay Kumar begins Karnataka coaching journey with a demand for greater attitude

R Vinay Kumar has been appointed head coach of Karnataka’s senior men’s team after the Karnataka State Cricket Association managing committee ratified his appointment. The role marks his first senior domestic coaching assignment with a state team and brings him back to the side he captained and represented for much of his playing career.

“It's a great feeling to start my domestic cricket coaching journey with Karnataka, where I played most of my cricket and made some great memories,” Vinay said after the appointment was made official. “It's one of the finest opportunities for me to go forward and it's my privilege to coach the Karnataka team,” he added.

Vinay will work alongside former teammate Deepak Chougale, who has been named fielding coach. The new head coach is expected to oversee the batting and bowling departments, while drawing on experience gained with MI Emirates in the UAE’s ILT20 and the Hubli Tigers in the Maharaja Trophy KSCA T20 tournament. He has also spent around four seasons as a talent scout with Mumbai Indians.

‘Talent was never a problem’

Karnataka have struggled to reproduce the success achieved during Vinay’s tenure as captain, and the state have gone a decade without matching that level of consistency. Vinay, however, rejected the idea that a lack of ability is at the heart of the problem.

“Talent was never a problem, we have plenty of it,” he said. “What I feel is missing is attitude.”

His scouting work and franchise coaching have given him an extended view of Karnataka’s players. Vinay said he had closely followed the senior side and age-group teams for four to five years, giving him a clear understanding of both the team’s strengths and its shortcomings. His nationwide scouting experience has also helped him assess opposition players and understand their preparation and mindset.

A common goal and a stronger player pathway

Karnataka finished runners-up to Jammu and Kashmir in the previous Ranji Trophy season. Vinay believes sustained team success will improve the prospects of individual players, pointing to Auqib Nabi’s rise to the India team after strong performances for Jammu and Kashmir.

He also urged players not to use transition as an excuse. “We have good talent, it is about channelising their energy and attitude towards a common goal,” Vinay said. He added that players must “grab opportunities with both hands”, arguing that age should no longer be treated as a barrier in modern cricket and citing Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as an example.

Vinay’s wider plan involves closer coordination across Karnataka’s age-group teams. Ganesh Satish will lead the under-23 side, Kunal Kapoor will coach the under-19 team and Raajoo Bhatkal will serve as its bowling coach. Vinay said the coaches’ familiarity with one another should improve communication and create a more reliable supply chain of players ready to move into senior cricket.

“It's all about the supply chain because they will have to give me the clear picture on who they think are ready to graduate or need to be fast tracked into the senior team,” he said.

“We would love to win many trophies, which is the end result to achieve. For that, we need to tick all the boxes,” Vinay added.