Former Punjab Kings batter Paul Valthaty takes up head coach role in the USA

Paul Valthaty, who scored a swashbuckling century for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2011, joined as the head coach of Seattle Thunderbolts in the Minor League Cricket, which is a developmental T20 tournament for Major League Cricket in the United States.

The 40-year-old bid farewell to domestic cricket last year after making five first-class, four List A, and 34 T20 appearances. Seattle Thunderbolts announced the development by releasing an official statement earlier this month.

"Seattle Thunderbolts have just added a big hitter to their lineup—off the field! We’re thrilled to announce that Paul Valthaty, the former Kings XI Punjab sensation, is now steering our ship as the Head Coach," the Minor League Cricket side said in its statement.

Notably, Valthaty started working with young cricketers at the Thunderbolts Cricket Academy in Seattle. In a video message, Valthaty expressed his excitement at having gotten the opportunity to share his experience of playing in Mumbai and the IPL with the budding talents in Seattle.

His cricketing journey commenced in the late 1990s when he plied his trade through age-group cricket in Mumbai. Valthaty was picked in India's Under-19 squad for the 2002 World Cup, where an eye injury during a match against Bangladesh halted his development. Despite this unfortunate event, Valthaty showed immense grit and determination and eventually made his List-A debut for Mumbai in 2006.

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Valthaty showed good form for Punjab Kings before fading away due to injury

In 2009, Rajasthan Royals acquired his services and this turned out to be a significant moment in his career. Paul Valthaty put in some excellent performances for Mumbai in T20 competitions and bagged a contract with Punjab Kings in 2011. Valthaty amassed an unbeaten 120 not out off just 63 balls against Chennai Super Kings in Mohali and helped the Kings chase down a 190-run target with six wickets and five balls to spare. He went on to score 463 runs in 14 matches in the 2011 IPL season.

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Valthaty failed to replicate his success in the following years and a wrist injury, which required surgery, impacted his form severely. The right-handed batter will now look to guide aspiring cricketers in the USA to realise their dreams.