India Tour Of South Africa: VVS Laxman To Coach Men In Blue During Proteas T20I Series

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has appointed VVS Laxman as head coach for India’s upcoming four-match T20I bilateral series in South Africa. (More Cricket News)

Laxman, currently overseeing the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, will step in as incumbent head coach Gautam Gambhir departs with the Indian Test squad to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). The decision was confirmed by a top BCCI official on Monday.

India’s T20I series against South Africa, set to begin on November 8, was not part of the initial fixture calendar. Arranged recently through discussions between the BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA), the series will feature four matches in Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg, spanning November 8 to 15. With a busy international schedule on the horizon, the BCCI faces the task of managing multiple squads and coaching staff across continents.

Laxman will lead a support team of experienced coaches from the NCA. Former players Sairaj Bahutule, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, and Subhadeep Ghosh, who were recently involved with India’s Emerging squad in the Asia Emerging Cup, will join as assistant coaches. Bahutule, serving as head coach, will be joined by Kanitkar as the batting coach and Ghosh as the fielding coach.

While Laxman’s appointment promises to maintain continuity for the young Indian squad led by Suryakumar Yadav, the timing of the series has not been without criticism. Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has voiced concerns over player availability for domestic competitions, such as the ongoing Ranji Trophy.

“With about 50 to 60 players unavailable due to international commitments, it impacts the domestic setup,” Gavaskar remarked, emphasizing that the scheduling clashes could affect the strength and competitiveness of teams in the Ranji Trophy.

Despite these concerns, the South Africa series could serve as an opportunity for emerging players to make a case ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction. The short series allows franchise scouts a glimpse at players who might be highly sought after.

India’s 15-member T20 squad for South Africa, announced on October 25, will depart on November 3, while the BGT-bound Test squad leaves around November 10-11.

India's T20I squad: Suryakumar Yadav (C), 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.