Sulakshan Kulkarni Takes Charge as Oman’s Head Coach After T20 World Cup 2026

Sulakshan Kulkarni, a former Ranji Trophy winner, has been named the Oman men's cricket team's new head coach. The 59-year-old takes over for Duleep Mendis, who resigned after serving as leader for 14 years. Shortly after the conclusion of Mendis' final head coaching duty, the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup, Oman Cricket acknowledged the development.

Kulkarni took over as Oman's assistant head coach in July of last year, succeeding former captain Duleep Mendis. In a statement, Oman Cricket said, “Duleep Mendis transitions to Chief Development Officer at Oman Cricket after 14 remarkable years at the helm, leaving behind a stellar legacy of historic milestones and taking Oman cricket to unprecedented heights. His impact on the national team and the game’s growth in the country is truly immeasurable."

After working as Oman's assistant head coach since July of last year, Kulkarni was promoted. He has a thorough understanding of the team's structure because he worked closely with the squad throughout the T20 World Cup campaign. In an official statement, Oman Cricket lauded Mendis for building a solid foundation for the sport in the nation and expressed trust in Kulkarni's abilities.

Oman's Next Step After T20 World Cup 2026:

As the team's head coach in 2012–13, the former Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter, who participated in 65 First-Class and 13 List A games, led Mumbai to its 40th Ranji Trophy victory. Oman lost all four of their first-round matches and was eliminated in the group round of the current T20 World Cup.

Kulkarni, however, has a wealth of domestic cricket experience. Between 1985–86 and 2001–02, the former Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter participated in 65 first-class matches and 13 List A games. In first-class cricket, he amassed 3332 runs at an average of 38.29, including 13 half-centuries and six hundreds. During his playing career, he represented Vidarbha, Railways, and Assam in addition to Mumbai.

Before this, he was the head coach of Mumbai, Tamil Nadu, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra on the domestic circuit. In the 2012–13 season, he led Mumbai to their 40th Ranji Trophy victory, which was one of his greatest accomplishments.

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