Former Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter replaces Duleep Mendis, who served Oman Cricket for 14 years

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Former Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter and experienced domestic coach Sulakshan Kulkarni has been appointed as the new head coach of the Oman national cricket team. He replaces Duleep Mendis, who held the position for 14 years and stepped down after the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which marked his final assignment with the team.

Following his tenure as head coach, Mendis will now take on a new role as Chief Development Officer at Oman Cricket. Under his leadership, Oman made four appearances at the T20 World Cup, helping the team establish itself as a competitive associate nation on the global stage.

In the current T20 World Cup, Oman were placed in Group B alongside strong teams including Australia national cricket team, Sri Lanka national cricket team, Zimbabwe national cricket team and Ireland national cricket team. However, the side struggled to make an impact and failed to secure a win during the tournament.

Kulkarni had already been closely involved with the team as Mendis’ deputy since July last year, making his transition into the head coach role a natural progression. With decades of experience in the Indian domestic cricket circuit, Kulkarni brings significant coaching expertise to the Oman setup.

The 59-year-old has previously coached several prominent domestic teams including Mumbai cricket team, Tamil Nadu cricket team, Vidarbha cricket team and Chhattisgarh cricket team. His long association with Indian domestic cricket is expected to help Oman strengthen its structure and performance in international competitions.

As a player, Kulkarni had a notable domestic career spanning from the 1985–86 season to 2001–02. He played 65 first-class matches, scoring 3,332 runs with six centuries and 13 half-centuries at an average of 38.29. In List A cricket, he featured in 13 matches and scored 130 runs in 10 innings at an average of 21.66. Apart from Mumbai, he also represented teams like Railways cricket team, Assam cricket team and Vidarbha cricket team during his playing career.

Oman’s next scheduled assignment was the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series in Nepal involving United Arab Emirates national cricket team and Nepal national cricket team. However, the matches have been postponed due to ongoing air strikes in West Asia, which have led to widespread flight cancellations across the region.

Kulkarni’s appointment comes at an important phase for Oman cricket as the team looks to rebuild and prepare for upcoming international challenges.