For the T20 series against South Africa and the India tour of England, the BCCI will choose two separate squads. The two teams would also have different coaching staff for each tour, according to reports. Rahul Dravid will fly to England with the test team. VVS Laxman is expected to coach the Indian squad in the T20I series against South Africa and the two-match T20I series against Ireland.
VVS Laxman is likely to take over as India’s head coach for SA
The tight schedule of Team India will once again see two squads competing at the same time. In June and July, a white-ball side will play a T20I series against South Africa and Ireland, while the red-ball team will tour England. At the same time, Team India will have two captains leading the national team, as well as two coaching staff.
The coaching staff led by Rahul Dravid will fly to England next month. VVS Laxman is expected to fill in for Team India’s head coach during the series against South Africa and Ireland. According to reports, the BCCI would urge Laxman to replace Dravid.
Currently, the batting legend is the director of the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He helped India’s U-19 squad win the Junior World Cup in the West Indies earlier this year.
Dravid was also the director of NCA when he took up the post on a temporary basis for the Sri Lanka tour last year. After Ravi Shastri’s tenure ended, he was named Team India’s head coach. Laxman will be collaborating with the national team for the first time.
Laxman, a seasoned coach, began his coaching career with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2013 IPL. He served as SRH’s mentor for nine years before taking over as NCA’s chief.
In a December 2021 interview, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly claimed that Laxman wanted to work with Team India.
“We had Rahul in mind for a long period of time, both me and Jay, but he wasn’t agreeing because of the time away from home [and] because doing a national team’s job is [about being] on the road for about 8-9 months in a year and he has two young children,” Ganguly said.
“He was keen on the national team job, but that couldn’t be worked out. But somewhere down the line, he would have that opportunity to coach the national team,” Ganguly added.
