Home
Former Indian cricketer and 1983 World Cup hero Sandeep Patil is making a grand return to Mumbai cricket after nearly ten years away. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has officially named the veteran batsman as the new Team Mentor for both the senior and age-group men’s squads ahead of the upcoming domestic season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sandeep Patil becomes Mumbai's mentor across all levels
The high-profile appointment was confirmed on Tuesday (June 23, 2026) by MCA President Ajinkya Naik. By handing Patil this crucial role, the association is counting on one of Mumbai’s most iconic cricket figures to inspire, cultivate, and guide the city's rising talent through the intense preparations and pressures of the domestic calendar.
This move represents a major full-circle moment for the former Mumbai skipper. Patil’s formal involvement with local cricket administration wrapped up back in 2016, a departure that coincided with the conclusion of his prominent four-year tenure as the chairman of selectors for the Indian national team.
Sandeep Patil's rift with board finally ends
More than just a new job, Patil's appointment heals a past rift with the board. His relationship with the MCA cooled after October 2022, when he lost a closely contested and high-stakes presidential election to the late Amol Kale. That electoral defeat had kept Patil on the sidelines of Mumbai's cricket scene, making this unexpected reunion a monumental peace-making moment between the legendary cricketer and the cricket body.
While Patil is fondly remembered for the explosive batting that helped secure India's iconic 1983 World Cup victory, his impact on the game didn't stop when his playing days ended. After an early retirement from international cricket in 1986, he successfully reinvented himself, carving out an illustrious second career as both a high-profile coach and a sharp administrator.
Patil’s coaching resume includes a brief stint at the helm of the senior Indian national team in 1996, but his influence truly shined during his time with the India 'A' squad. In that role, he played a pivotal part in nurturing a new wave of Indian cricket talent, most notably helping shape the early career of future legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
On the world stage, Patil achieved legendary coaching status by orchestrating one of cricket's greatest fairy tales, guiding Kenya to an unprecedented semifinal spot in the 2003 World Cup. Following that historic run, he returned to the Indian setup to lead the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and subsequently served a four-year term as the chairman of the national selection committee between 2012 and 2016.
In his new mentorship role, Patil will influence multiple tiers of Mumbai cricket, working closely with both the senior players and the youth squads. His wealth of knowledge arrives at a critical time for the domestic giants, who are desperate to bounce back and reclaim their dominant, championship-winning form after a disappointing, trophy-less 2025–26 campaign.
ADVERTISEMENT
