MUMBAI: Former first-class batsman and experienced coach Kiran Powar has been appointed by the Assam Cricket Association as the new head coach of the Assam senior team for the next two seasons. Powar was the head coach of the Mumbai under-23 team last season.
Significantly, Assam is the home state of BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia.
“I had applied for the Assam head coach job with the ACA, and they immediately invited me for an interview. Yesterday I flew to Guwahati. They were impressed by me and were very keen for me to take the job. The ACA officials told me that they had heard good things about me in the Mumbai cricket circle, that I am a tough, no-nonsense guy. They want someone like me as the Assam head coach. I am very grateful to them for giving me this opportunity. The ACA is doing a great job – their plans for the 2026-27 season are already underway and they are building India’s largest indoor cricket academy in Guwahati,” Powar told TOI from Guwahati on Monday.
“I am leaving Mumbai with a heavy heart and would like to serve again in the future. I would especially like to thank Mumbai Cricket Association President Ajinkya Naik for giving me his constant support and giving me the opportunity to coach the Mumbai Under-23 team despite many people being against me,” he added.
Assam failed to advance to the playoffs of any of the domestic tournaments last season. The North East team had former India player Noel Davoid as the head coach in the 2025 season. In the 2024-25 season, Assam had opted for split training, with Vivek Jaisimha as the head coach of the senior men’s team for the red-ball tournaments, while RX Murali will be in charge for the shorter format.
Powar, 50, played 39 first-class matches, in which he scored 2,562 runs at an average of 42, besides picking up 10 wickets.
Powar had recently announced that he would inaugurate a world-class multi-sports facility near Mumbai and Pune. Located in Khopoli and spread over 55 acres, the facility aims to nurture young talent while promoting recreational sports and active lifestyles.
Powar began his coaching career almost a decade ago as head coach of the Vidarbha Under-19 team for two years. Later, he became the batting coach at MCA’s academy at BKC and then the under-16 head coach of Mumbai. He was also the Mumbai senior team selector and Western Zone head coach in the Duleep Trophy last season, and a member of the MCA Apex Council as a representative of the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA).