VVS Laxman Named Head Coach for India Tour of South Africa

In an upcoming twist for Indian cricket, VVS Laxman has been appointed as the head coach for India’s four-match T20I series in South Africa, as current national coach Gautam Gambhir will be in Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The tour was confirmed by a senior BCCI official and comes as a newly arranged addition between the BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA).

The T20 series will see India in action across four venues: Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg, with matches scheduled for November 8, 10, 13, and 15. Team India will leave for South Africa around November 4, while the contingent for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy departs later, around November 10-11.

Laxman will lead an experienced coaching team from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru. Key staff joining him include Sairaj Bahutule as head coach, Hrishikesh Kanitkar as batting coach, and Subhadeep Ghosh as fielding coach, all of whom recently mentored the India Emerging side at the Asia Emerging Cup in Oman. Meanwhile, Sitanshu Kotak and Mazhar Moidu are currently with the India A squad, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, for their tour of Australia.

BCCI named a 15-member squad for the T20 series on October 25, with dynamic batter Suryakumar Yadav as captain. The squad also features rising stars and T20 specialists such as Abhishek Sharma, Rinku Singh, and Tilak Varma, with Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma as wicketkeeping options.

The timing of this T20 series has drawn criticism from some quarters, including former captain Sunil Gavaskar, who expressed concerns in Sportstar that it clashes with the ongoing domestic season and the premier Ranji Trophy. With both the T20 series and India A tour of Australia in play, many players are missing from their state teams.

However, the series could prove beneficial for players looking to make an impact before the IPL auction, as strong performances in South Africa might capture the attention of franchise scouts.

India T20I Squad for South Africa:

• Captain: Suryakumar Yadav
• Batsmen and All-rounders: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh
• Bowlers: Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal

Image Credits: MyKhel

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