Former India all-rounder Hrishikesh Kanitkar has been roped in as the assistant coach of new franchise Pune Supergiants.

The 41-year-old, who was a regular in the Indian team from 1997 to 2000, retired from international cricket in July last year. He had played two Tests in the 1999-2000 season, apart from 34 One-Day Internationals (ODI).

People fondly remember him for his role in the final match of the Independence Cup versus Pakistan in 1998. The daring left hander smacked a boundary off Saqlain Mushtaq at a time when India required three runs to win from two balls. That too in fading light to help them register a memorable win over the arch rivals in Dhaka, while chasing a 300-plus target.

With 8,059 runs in 105 matches, Kanitkar is among the top five highest run-getters in Ranji Trophy. He also captained the Rajasthan team to two Ranji Trophy titles.

Kanitkar was a success in county cricket too, playing for  Brentwood Cricket Club in Essex in the 2006 season, Kanitkar amassed over 1000 runs with an average of 76.

Kanitkar will play deputy to Stephen Fleming who is head coach of the Pune side and captained by none other than Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Pune and Gujarat are the two new teams who have replaced Rajasthan and Chennai as they have been suspended for two years for their role in fixing and corruptiom.