Indian Premier League is a two-month-long tournament that happens once a year. Every three years, the teams will have to be reset before the mega-auction takes place. Hence, if a franchise makes a change in its management, the results are expected to be instant. Of course, the reason to change a coach could also involve non-cricketing matters. In this article, we discuss four IPL franchises that could change coaches in IPL 2022.
IPL 2022 would involve two new franchises, and the stakes to win the ten-team competition would increase. A few coaches have anyways not settled into the surroundings in recent seasons. Hence, as part of a fresh start, a few teams might change coaches in IPL 2022.
1) Kolkata Knight Riders
Current Coach: Brendon McCullum
Although Brendon McCullum is one of the faces of the brand that Kolkata Knight Riders is, the franchise might take up the hard option of sacking him. Ever since his appointment, coaching decisions have not been consistent, and performances have also not been up to the mark. Despite the wealth of talent pool at KKR, the management has failed to utilize it effectively. Hence, it would not be a surprise if KKR parts ways with their season one hero as the coach of the squad.
2) Rajasthan Royals – Franchise could appoint a well-established coach
Current Coach: Trevor Penney
Trevor Penney was made the coach of the franchise after it parted ways with former Aussie all-rounder Andrew McDonald. Kumar Sangakkara will continue in his role as the Director of Sports Operations. It is likely that RR might install a more established coach for IPL 2022. Trevor Penney has anyway not done exceedingly well in the first phase of IPL 2021. RR might target an Indian coach so that at least from the next edition, a team with a strong Indian core would be set in place. This would help the franchise do well even if a few foreign stars miss out.
3) Sunrisers Hyderabad
Current Coach: Trevor Bayliss
After Tom Moody was relieved as the coach of the unit, SRH has actually struggled. One of their main issues for the past few years has been middle-order batting and the problem still persists. In the first phase of IPL 2021, Trevor Bayliss hardly found any solution to this problem. The controversial decision of dropping David Warner and Manish Pandey also occurred under him. Despite doing well in domestic competitions, the likes of Abhishek Sharma have not done well for SRH. Maybe, a change in coach might work for the Hyderbad-unit and its youngsters in the future.
4) Mumbai Indians – Could be forced to change if Mahela picks a role in Sri Lankan cricket
Coach: Mahela Jayawardene
It is a far-fetched thought, but Mumbai Indians could be one of the franchises that will change coaches in IPL 2022. Mahela Jayawardene might pick a role in Sri Lankan cricket to ensure that the ongoing slump is arrested. Hence, if he quits MI, the most successful franchise will have to make a management change. On the other hand, MI might also try to bring some freshness by bringing in a new coach. Of course, winning is the highest priority but we have seen cases previously where successful coaches have been replaced by franchises.
