Former Indian all-rounder and coach of the IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab Sanjay Bangar has been named India’s head coach for the upcoming tour to Zimbabwe.

He will be assisted by Abhay Sharma who has been named fielding coach for the tour, with Sharma previously involved in both India A and India U19 setups.

The announcement ends all speculation about whether the team would be travelling to Zimbabwe with or without a coach.

Bangar had earlier served as India’s batting coach under the directorship of Ravi Shastri, but it is believed the appointment is a stop-gap arrangement till the Board of Control for Cricket in India is able to find a long term successor to Duncan Fletcher.

Earlier this month, the BCCI released a notification inviting applicants for the position of the Indian cricket team’s head coach.

Some reports in the Indian media suggest that Kiwi all-rounder Daniel Vettori and Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne are in contention for the top job.