Former Afghanistan cricket coach Milap Mewada takes charge of Goa

PANAJI: The Goa Cricket Association (GCA) has confirmed the appointment of Milap Mewada as the head coach for the 2025-26 season.Goa won the Plate division – meant for lower-ranked teams – last season with Dinesh Mongia as coach, but the former international is understood to have ruled himself out of the job, telling GCA officials that he is “unavailable.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Goa were then offered the services of Mewada and, given his profile, officials were quick to conclude the deal.

“Mewada is an excellent choice for Goa,” a senior official told TOI after the GCA managing committee meeting on Wednesday. “His track record as batting coach has been excellent and he will be able to guide our players properly. Wherever he has coached, the results have been impressive.”

A wicketkeeper-batter, Mewada never made it to the top as a player, consistently missing out on a starting spot for Baroda where Nayan Mongia was the first choice. He did play 11 first-class and 26 List-A matches as a wicketkeeper-batter for Baroda between 1996 and 2005, before commencing his coaching career where he made a name for himself, famously being appointed as the batting coach for Afghanistan at the ODI World Cup in 2023.

Mewada, 50, has worked with several state teams, including Jammu and Kashmir, who he took to the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy in 2019-20. His other stints include coaching assignments with Baroda, Chhattisgarh and Hyderabad.“He will be Goa’s head coach with all other coaches reporting to him,” said the official.Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh has been appointed as the bowling coach, having previously worked as the chief coach for four years.