NEW DELHI: Former India U-19 fielding coach Abhay Sharma is set to join Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) as their fielding coach for the 2026 Indian Premier League.

Sharma’s most recent stint was with the Uganda national team, where he served as head coach and guided the side during its maiden World Cup campaign in 2024. The 56-year-old has also previously coached the Indian women’s cricket team.

Experienced coach with a rich background

After reaching the play-offs in their first two IPL seasons, LSG finished seventh in the past two editions. The franchise has recently made significant changes, naming Tom Moody as director of cricket and Kane Williamson as strategic director. Rishabh Pant will lead the side coached by Justin Langer.

“Abhay has extensive experience working with leading Indian cricketers and that should come in handy at LSG,” said a BCCI source.

The former first-class cricketer has worked with some of India’s top talents, including Pant, Shubman Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel, Avesh Khan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal at the U-19 level. He was part of India’s U-19 support staff during the 2016, 2018, and 2020 World Cups, and has also contributed at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.

As Uganda’s head coach, the 2024 World Cup was his first major assignment. However, Abhay and the Uganda board parted ways following the African qualifying campaign, where Zimbabwe and Namibia secured spots for the upcoming T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.