(Cricket News) Sanjay Bangar, the former Indian cricketer, has rekindled his association with the Punjab Kings as the franchise appointed him as the Head of Cricket Development for the upcoming IPL 2024 season. The 51-year-old, previously the batting coach for the Indian national team, boasts a notable history with the Punjab-based franchise, contributing to their runners-up finish in IPL 2014 while serving as an assistant coach.

In the subsequent two seasons, Bangar took on the role of head coach for the franchise; however, the team did not replicate their 2014 success and finished at the bottom of the table on both occasions. Expressing his enthusiasm for returning to the Punjab Kings, Bangar stated, “It’s my privilege to be with the Punjab Kings again. We have a good core group of players as evidenced by the fact that we have the lowest number of player releases this year. The challenge is to give the squad the best support possible during and after the season to make the team stronger and deliver success,” as quoted in a release by PTI.

For the upcoming season, Bangar will collaborate with the team’s head coach, Trevor Bayliss, forming a dynamic duo as they lead the think tank for the IPL auction scheduled to take place in Dubai on December 19.

Bangar, who also served as the Royal Challengers Bangalore batting consultant before being appointed the team’s head coach for two years, has a successful coaching record, guiding RCB to the playoffs in two out of the three seasons during his tenure. In a surprising move last month, the Punjab Kings announced the release of Shah Rukh Khan along with other players, including Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mohit Rathee, Baltej Dhanda, and Raj Angad Bawa.’

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