Former Delhi and Railways cricketer Abhay Sharma is all set to join the Lucknow Super Giants as a fielding coach for IPL 2026, according to a report in PTI. The 56-year-old had earlier served in the same
capacity for the India U19 team as well.
Abhay’s latest assignment was with the Uganda national team and as head coach, he was part of the team’s maiden World Cup campaign last year.
Abhay has coached the Indian women’s cricket team. Notably, he was the fielding coach when Harleen Deol took a brilliant catch on the boundary lines off Shikha Pandey’s bowling, to dismiss a hard-hitting Amy Jones.
After reaching the playoffs in their first two IPL seasons, the Lucknow Super Giants have finished seventh in the last two editions and expectedly, there is a slight overhaul in the coaching staff.
The team announced Tom Moody as its director of cricket, with New Zealand great Kane Williamson named its strategic director.
Star India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant is the leader of the team coached by Justin Langer.
“Abhay has extensive experience working with the leading Indian cricketers and that should come in handy at LSG,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by PTI.
Abhay has worked with the likes of Pant, Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel, Avesh Khan and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the U-19 level.
Abhay was part of the India U-19 support staff in the World Cups in 2016, 2018 and 2020. He has worked at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru as well.
As head coach, Uganda was Abhay’s first assignment and he was appointed ahead of last year’s T20 World Cup in the US and West Indies.
Abhay and Uganda parted ways after the conclusion of the qualifying campaign in Africa. Zimbabwe and Namibia qualified for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka from the African qualifier.
