VVS Laxman to Lead India as Head Coach for South Africa T20I Series
Laxman will be accompanied by a coaching staff from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, including Sairaj Bahutule as head coach, Hrishikesh Kanitkar as batting coach, and Subhadeep Ghosh as fielding coach.
Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman has been appointed as India’s head coach for the upcoming four-match T20I series against South Africa. The announcement was confirmed by a senior Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official on Monday. This temporary change comes as current head coach Gautam Gambhir will be with the Indian team in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
The series, not part of the initial schedule, was recently arranged through collaboration between the BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA). It is set to take place across four cities: Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg, with matches on November 8, 10, 13, and 15. India’s T20I squad, captained by Suryakumar Yadav, was announced on October 25.
Laxman will be accompanied by a coaching staff from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, including Sairaj Bahutule as head coach, Hrishikesh Kanitkar as batting coach, and Subhadeep Ghosh as fielding coach.
India’s T20I Squad for South Africa Tour:
- Captain: Suryakumar Yadav
- Abhishek Sharma
- Sanju Samson (WK)
- Rinku Singh
- Tilak Varma
- Jitesh Sharma (WK)
- Hardik Pandya
- Axar Patel
- Ramandeep Singh
- Varun Chakaravarthy
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Arshdeep Singh
- Vijaykumar Vyshak
- Avesh Khan
- Yash Dayal
Schedule:
- Match 1: November 8 - Durban
- Match 2: November 10 - Gqeberha
- Match 3: November 13 - Centurion
- Match 4: November 15 - Johannesburg
The series has sparked some debate, with former India captain Sunil Gavaskar voicing concerns over its timing, as it overlaps with India’s domestic season, including the Ranji Trophy. However, the matches are anticipated to offer franchises insights into emerging players ahead of the IPL auction.