Davanagere Express R Vinay Kumar has been appointed head coach of the Karnataka Senior Men’s Cricket Team for the upcoming 2026-27 domestic season. The 42-year-old former India and Karnataka pacer brings extensive domestic experience, with 504 first-class, 225 List A, and 194 T20 wickets. He also scalped 49 wickets for India across formats.
Vinay’s appointment comes after Yere Goud, Karnataka’s previous head coach, was moved to BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (COE) as a batting coach.
During Vinay Kumar’s tenure as skipper, Karnataka enjoyed an impressive run a decade ago, winning a treble of the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Irani Trophy in two consecutive seasons, 2013/14 & 2014/15. Since then, Karnataka hasn’t won the Ranji Trophy, so Vinay Kumar is the right man to lead the side in the upcoming domestic season, which starts in October.
Apart from representing Karnataka and India, R Vinay Kumar has a strong coaching resume, serving as assistant coach of MI Emirates in the ILT20. Recently, he took up the coaching role with Hubli Tigers in the Maharaja Trophy 2026. He was also part of the Mumbai Indians setup as a talent scout.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, Vinay said, “It is a privilege to lead Karnataka, first as a captain, and now as a head coach. I’m really thankful to KSCA for giving me this opportunity. We achieved great results back then, but now it is a different ball game as a coach. With coaching experience under my belt with MI Emirates, Hubli Tigers, and as a talent scout with Mumbai Indians, it has given me a lot of exposure to talk with top coaches. I am confident that I can do a good job. We have a fantastic set of boys.”
He also said, “Karnataka has its own legacy. So, for me, it is all about creating a good culture. It is my responsibility to get the best out of this bunch, and we want to win as many titles as possible. The important one is the Ranji Trophy. I am confident that things will align if we believe and play to our potential.” Karnataka, previous season runners-up in the Ranji Trophy, are in Elite Group B this season and will begin their campaign against Andhra on October 11th.