MUMBAI: Former India batsman Mohammad Kaif has been named assistant coach of the Gujarat Lions for the 2017 IPL season. The appointment will be Kaif’s maiden coaching stint, and he will be deputy to head coach Brad Hodge. “Glad to be part of such an exciting group of boys and a wonderful management,” Kaif said on Twitter in response to Lions’ announcement. Lions, captained by Suresh Raina, finished top of the league stage in their first IPL season, in 2016, but failed to qualify for the final because they lost both their playoff matches. Kaif, 36, was appointed captain of Chhattisgarh in their maiden Ranji Trophy season in 2016-17. He also led Chhattisgarh in the recently concluded inter-state T20 tournament, where they won two of the five games in the Central Zone. Kaif has been associated with three IPL teams as a player – Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kaif, who played 13 Tests and 125 one-day internationals, was an integral part of the Uttar Pradesh side for close to a decade-and-a-half, after making his first-class debut in 1997-98. He played a vital role in UP’s maiden Ranji Trophy title victory in 2005-06, when they beat Bengal on the basis of a first-innings lead in Lucknow. Renowned for being a gritty batsman and an excellent fielder, Kaif has 10,093 runs in 182 first-class matches at an average of 39.12.