The Odisha Cricket Association (OCA), on Thursday (August 24), appointed former India batsman Shiv Sundar Das as the coach of the state’s senior and Ranji team.

The former opener will replace former India fast bowler Debasish Mohanty as the head coach. Mohanty was the coach of Odisha since January 2011 after succeeding Australia’s Michael Bevan.

According to media reports, Mohanty ended his six-year association with the state team due to personal reasons. Under Mohanty’s coaching, Odisha made it to the knockouts of the Ranji Trophy for the first time in 15 years in the 2016-17 season when they reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual winners Gujarat.

Das, meanwhile, represented India in 23 Tests, scoring 1,326 runs with the help of two centuries and nine fifties. He also played four One-Day Internationals but had little success, as he managed only 39 runs. The right-handed batsman made his Ranji Trophy debut for Odisha against Madhya Pradesh in the 1993-94 season and made an immediate impact, scoring 98 in the second innings to help Odisha qualify for the quarterfinals.

He finished his domestic career 10,908 runs in 180 matches, scoring 24 centuries and 52 half-centuries with the highest score being 300 not out. The former India international is not new to coaching, as he has previously coached East Zone in the Duleep Trophy for the 2014-15 season. He is also one of NCA’s qualified coaches.

Meanwhile, the OCA at its working committee meeting held at Cuttack on Thursday also appointed Suresh Kumar, Kulamani Parida and Subrat Behera as coaches of the state’s Under-23, Under-19 and Under-16 men’s cricket teams, respectively. Rashmita Mohanty, on the other hand, was roped in as coach of the women’s senior side as well as the Under-23 set-up. Itishree Pattnaik was appointed as the coach of the Under-19 team.