Gareth Batty swaps the county circuit for the IPL, leaving his Surrey head coach role to become Chennai Super Kings' assistant head coach.
Gareth Batty is trading Kennington for Chennai. The Surrey head coach has stepped down from his post to take up a new role as assistant head coach at Indian Premier League franchise Chennai Super Kings.
The move is a major change of scene for Batty, a former England off-spinner who built his reputation as a hard-nosed, tactically sharp competitor. After a long playing career and a spell in charge at one of English cricket's biggest counties, he now steps onto the IPL stage, where the pressure is intense and the margins are small.
Chennai Super Kings are one of the most decorated and widely followed franchises in T20 cricket, with a huge fan base and a reputation for backing experienced, savvy cricketing minds. Batty's background in spin bowling, game management and leading a dressing room should give the coaching group another layer of expertise.
Surrey now have to look for a successor, and the search will be watched closely given the standard the club has set in recent seasons. For Batty, the challenge is to prove that his county success translates to the biggest franchise league in the world.
