Punjab Kings on Friday appointed former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar as its head of cricket development for the upcoming IPL season.

The former India all-rounder was the franchise's assistant coach when it finished runners-up in 2014.

In the next two seasons, he served as the head coach when the side finished at the bottom of the table.

"It's my privilege to be with the Punjab Kings again," Bangar stated in a media release.

Bangar will work in tandem with the team's head coach Trevor Bayliss as the duo will form the think tank for the IPL auction, slated to be held in Dubai on December 19.

"We have a good core group of players as evidenced by the fact that we have the lowest number of player releases this year. The challenge is to give the squad the best support possible during and after the season to make the team stronger and deliver success," Bangar said.

Bangar was the Royal Challengers Bangalore batting consultant before being named the team's head coach for the next two years.

Punjab Kings have released five players, including Tamil Nadu's Shahrukh Khan.

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