Joins Gary Kirsten and Ashish Nehra in the backroom of the new IPL franchise
“Surrey has been an extremely valuable part of my life for the last nine years, both as a player and as a coach, making the decision to leave a difficult one,” Solanki said in a statement issued by Surrey. “I am forever grateful for the level of support that has always been afforded to me and my family during my time here. A special thank you too to Alec Stewart who has been a mentor and a guide.
“I will always remain inspired by all the interactions and learnings with players and staff I have had the good fortune of working so closely with. There are many respected friendships I will cherish for a lifetime.
“Finally, it has been a privilege to serve this great club in the small way I have, and it has been an honour to have been the head coach of Surrey for the last two years. To all the players, staff and Members, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!”
Solanki, who played 51 ODIs and three T20Is for England between 2000 and 2007 with moderate returns, had joined Surrey as a player ahead of the 2013 season. In 2016, he took on a player-cum-coach role with the Surrey Second XI. He stayed with the Second XI for the 2017 season entirely in a coaching capacity.
He became assistant head coach, to Michael di Venuto, in the winter of 2017, and following di Venuto’s departure at the end of the 2020 season, Solanki was appointed head coach – making him the first British Asian to hold such a position at any of the first-class counties.
Solanki was also named president of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations in March 2016, a position he holds to this day.
An announcement on Solanki’s successor as Surrey head coach will be made in due course.