Overview
Ramesh Powar is a former Indian cricketer and a cricket coach, best known as a right-arm off-spin bowler. He represented India in international cricket in the mid-2000s and had a long first-class career with Mumbai in domestic cricket. After retirement, he transitioned to coaching, including stints as head coach of the India women's national cricket team.
Key facts
| Full name | Ramesh Rajaram Powar |
|---|---|
| Born | 20 May 1978, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Role | Right-arm off-break bowler; lower-order right-handed batter |
| Domestic team | Mumbai |
| National side | India |
| International formats | One Day International (ODI), Twenty20 International (T20I) |
| Later role | Cricket coach |
Background
Powar was born and brought up in Mumbai, a city with a deep tradition in Indian cricket. He came through the Mumbai age-group ranks and made his way into the senior Mumbai side in the Ranji Trophy, where the city's strong domestic structure has long produced India internationals. He was recognisable on the field for his stocky build, distinctive moustache and spectacles, and a flighted, attacking style of off-spin.
Domestic career
Powar was a mainstay of the Mumbai team in the Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournaments for over a decade. He contributed to several Mumbai title-winning campaigns with both his bowling and useful lower-order batting, and was known as a wicket-taking off-spinner on Indian pitches. He also turned out in the Duleep Trophy for West Zone and represented Indian sides in the Irani Cup. In Twenty20 franchise cricket, he was associated with teams in the Indian Premier League, including Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders, during the early seasons of the league.
International career
Powar made his ODI debut for India in 2004 and went on to play limited-overs cricket for the national side over the next few years, featuring in series in India and overseas. He also played Twenty20 International cricket for India. His international appearances were primarily in white-ball formats, where he was used as a frontline off-spin option, often alongside other established Indian spinners of the period such as Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble.
Coaching career
After stepping away from playing, Powar moved into coaching. He served as head coach of the India women's national cricket team, a role he held in two separate spells. His first tenure included the team's campaign at the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20. He was later reappointed as head coach of the women's team and oversaw assignments including the 2022 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup in New Zealand and the 2022 Commonwealth Games cricket competition in Birmingham, where India reached the final. He has also worked in coaching and mentoring roles in Indian domestic cricket.
Style and significance
As a player, Powar represented a generation of Indian off-spinners who relied on flight, loop and changes of pace rather than sheer turn. His career reflects the strength of Mumbai's domestic system in producing cricketers capable of contributing to both red-ball and white-ball formats. In coaching, he has been part of a wider effort to professionalise support staff for Indian cricket, particularly in the women's game, during a phase of rapid expansion in domestic structures and global tournaments.
Related topics
- Mumbai cricket team
- Ranji Trophy
- India national cricket team
- India women's national cricket team
- Indian Premier League
- Mumbai Indians
- Kolkata Knight Riders
- Off spin
References
- Wikidata entity: Q3530007
- Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcements regarding India women's team coaching appointments.
- International Cricket Council (ICC) match and tournament records for India and India Women.