The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has taken a landmark step in strengthening women’s cricket by appointing a dedicated group of former India women’s cricketers as specialist coaches at its Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, a first of its kind move that signals a deeper commitment to building long-term pathways in the women’s game.
Former India internationals Nooshin Al Khadeer, Sunetra Paranjpe and Vellaswamy Ramu Vanitha have been appointed as bowling, batting and fielding coaches respectively at the Centre of Excellence, which operates under Head of Cricket VVS Laxman. While the Bengaluru facility, formerly known as the National Cricket Academy, has previously included former cricketers in coaching roles, this marks the first time an entire specialist women’s coaching group has been created specifically for women’s cricket development.
The appointments arrive during a period of significant growth in Indian women’s cricket, with stronger domestic structures, increased international opportunities and a growing emphasis on building depth beneath the senior national team.
Nooshin brings both elite playing and coaching experience to the setup. The former off-spinner represented India between 2002 and 2012, featuring in five Tests, 78 ODIs and two T20 Internationals. She claimed 14 wickets in Test cricket at 26.64 and reached the milestone of 100 ODI wickets while becoming one of India’s most reliable spinners during her era. Beyond her playing career, Nooshin has already built an impressive coaching resume, guiding India’s Under-19 women to T20 World Cup titles in 2023 and 2025.
Paranjpe arrives with a blend of international and domestic coaching success. The former India all-rounder represented the country in three Tests and 28 ODIs between 2002 and 2007. Across her ODI career, she scored 322 runs, including a half-century, while also contributing 11 wickets with her medium pace. At domestic level, she built an outstanding record with over 3,000 List A runs and 48 wickets, showcasing the all-round qualities that later shaped her coaching philosophy. More recently, she led Mumbai women to back-to-back domestic T20 titles while also previously serving as Baroda women’s head coach.
Vanitha completes the specialist trio. The former batter represented India in six ODIs and 16 T20 Internationals between 2014 and 2016 and now steps into a key developmental role overseeing fielding standards — an increasingly critical area as women’s cricket continues evolving globally.
Former India women’s captain Diana Edulji welcomed the move, calling it another indicator of how seriously Indian cricket is investing in the women’s game. “It’s a good step by the BCCI. It shows how much women’s cricket has grown in India, and that the BCCI is taking it very seriously,” Edulji said. She also highlighted the wider impact the appointments could create beyond Bengaluru.“This trio will enable us to build the bench strength of women’s cricket in the future, since these coaches are likely to go with India A, the Emerging women’s team and India Under-19 tours,” she said.
The move comes at an important phase for Indian women’s cricket, with the senior team currently in England and preparations also building towards the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 ahead. More significantly, the appointments represent a structural shift. India is no longer only investing in producing elite players, it is now investing equally in building elite women’s coaches, ensuring the next generation develops within a stronger system than before.
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