Yo Mahesh appointed Tamil Nadu head coach; Sandeep Patil named Mumbai mentor for 2026-27 season

Former Tamil Nadu fast bowler Yo Mahesh has been appointed as the head coach of the Tamil Nadu senior men’s team for the 2026-27 domestic season. Meanwhile, former India cricketer and 1983 World Cup winner Sandeep Patil has been named Mumbai’s team mentor for the upcoming campaign.

Yo Mahesh takes charge of Tamil Nadu

The 38-year-old replaces M Senthilnathan and M Venkataramana, who shared coaching responsibilities during the 2025-26 season. Yo Mahesh will oversee both the red-ball and white-ball squads after previously working with Tamil Nadu’s Under-19 teams.

Tamil Nadu endured a disappointing domestic season, failing to qualify for the knockout stages of the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

Following a poor start to the Ranji Trophy campaign, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association had split coaching duties midway through the season, assigning Venkataramana to white-ball cricket while Senthilnathan focused on red-ball competitions.

J Hariesh to assist in white-ball cricket

The appointment of Yo Mahesh was confirmed by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA).

J Hariesh, currently the head coach of Lyca Kovai Kings in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) and assistant batting coach of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, will assist Yo Mahesh during the white-ball season.

Yo Mahesh retired from professional cricket in 2020 after a successful domestic career. He claimed 108 wickets in 50 first-class matches and 93 wickets in List A cricket. He also represented Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

Sandeep Patil appointed Mumbai mentor

Former India batter and 1983 World Cup hero Sandeep Patil has been appointed as Mumbai’s mentor for the 2026-27 domestic season.

The 69-year-old represented India in 29 Tests and 45 ODIs between 1980 and 1986. Patil played a crucial role in India’s historic 1983 World Cup triumph, scoring 216 runs in eight innings at an impressive strike rate of 90.

Following his playing career, Patil served as coach of India A and Kenya and also held various administrative roles in Indian cricket.

Omkar Salvi retained as Mumbai coach

While Patil joins as mentor, Mumbai have retained Omkar Salvi as head coach for a fourth consecutive season.

Salvi recently enjoyed tremendous success as bowling coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru, helping the franchise secure back-to-back IPL titles. Mumbai Cricket Association officials believe the combination of Salvi’s coaching expertise and Patil’s vast experience will strengthen the team’s domestic ambitions.

Key Highlights

• Yo Mahesh has been appointed Tamil Nadu head coach for the 2026-27 domestic season.
• He replaces M Senthilnathan and M Venkataramana, who shared coaching duties last season.
• J Hariesh will assist Tamil Nadu during the white-ball campaign.
• Sandeep Patil has been named Mumbai’s team mentor.
• Omkar Salvi continues as Mumbai head coach for a fourth successive season.