RCB appoint Omkar Salvi as fast bowling coach ahead of IPL 2025 auction

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) appointed current Mumbai head coach Omkar Salvi as their fast bowling coach for IPL 2025.

Mumbai has tasted domestic success under Salvi, with the team clinching the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy in March and then the Irani Cup in October.

This will be Salvi's second stint as an IPL coach. He was previously the assistant bowling coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders. He had also earlier been the bowling coach with Mumbai.



Interestingly, his brother Avishkar is the bowling coach of the Indian women's cricket team and was the head coach of Punjab, who won the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy under him last season).

Salvi will take up the role at RCB after the conclusion of the domestic season in March, reported TOI. IPL-2025 is likely to begin from the last week of March, post Salvi's contract period with the Mumbai Cricket Association.

Salvi joined Mumbai as the head coach before the 2023-24 season, and guided the domestic giants to their 42nd Ranji Trophy title in March, when they beat Vidarbha by 102 runs in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. It was Mumbai's first Ranji title after eight years.


The MCA decided to retain Salvi for another season. Thereafter, in October, Mumbai clinched the Irani Cup after 27 years when they beat Rest of India at Lucknow, thus achieving a 'double triumph'.

Mumbai captain Ajinkya Rahane, backing local low-profile coaches like Salvi had said, "It is really good to have a coach like Omkar (Salvi) with us. It shows that you don't need high-profile or flashy coaches to be around the team. You can still be under the radar. You can still stay low-profile and get the best out of each and every player."

Salvi, in his 40s, has played just one match for the Railways in 2005, but he has a knack of being popular amongst the players, and has now earned plenty of respect as a fine coach.

Presently, with Salvi in charge, Mumbai, who scored their third outright win this season, are at the third spot in Elite Group A, with 22 points from five games.

RCB, who made the playoffs last year, have never won the IPL title. Salvi's task will be tough considering that bowling has always been a problem with RCB, especially with the short boundaries at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.