Ranji Trophy 2019-20 News: MCA set to sack team coach Vinayak Samant 

What's the story?

After their team got knocked out of the 2019-20 Ranji Trophy, Mumbai Cricket Association officials have decided to sack the team's coach Vinayak Samant after Mumbai's final match against Madhya Pradesh.

The background

Vinayak Samant joined the backroom staff of Mumbai after Sulakshan Kulkarni refused to work as per the MCA's revised terms and conditions. Under Samant, the 41-time champions began their 2019-20 campaign with a resounding 309-run win against Baroda.

It seemed like the most successful team in the history of Indian domestic cricket would regain its lost touch under their new coach. However, Mumbai could not record a single win in their next six matches. They lost to Railways by 10 wickets while Karnataka beat them by five wickets. Their next four games ended in a draw as Mumbai now have no chances of qualifying for the second round having earned only 14 points in seven matches.

The heart of the matter

According to a report in Mid-day, the MCA officials will issue a 30-day notice to Samant before terminating his contract which will culminate in May. All the members of MCA unanimously passed this decision in the Apex Council meeting which took place on Tuesday (11th February).

What's next?

The reports indicate that Mumbai Cricket Association members have agreed to appoint a former Test player as their new coach with Lalchand Rajput and Sanjay Bangar being the front-runners for this position. It will be intriguing to see who takes over the role of Mumbai's coach from Vinayak Samant.

As far as Samant's future is concerned, the current coach will look to end his tenure on a high by inspiring Mumbai to a win against Madhya Pradesh in their ultimate group stage match.