National Cricket Academy chief and former India batsman VVS Laxman will be the Indian team’s coach at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China in September-October this year. This will be the first time India has sent its cricket teams- both men’s and women’s- to the cricket event in Asian Games.
The BCCI decided to field a full-strength India women’s team captained by Harmanpreet Kaur but is sending a second-string men’s team to Hangzhou under the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad as it gives a huge opportunity for many IPL performers to shine in national jersey.
The cricket event will be played in T20 format and is set to be played Hangzhou in China, from September 19 to October 7. The squad will be led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, and coached by VVS Laxman because there is an overlap in schedule with the 50-over World Cup being hosted in India.
Apart from Gaikwad, the squad will see the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, and Rinku Singh. India will directly play the Continental Games from the quarterfinal round itself owing to the position they finished in the ICC T20I Rankings.
VVS Laxman To Be Indian Team’s Head Coach On T20I Tour If Ireland As Rahul Dravid Given A Break
Not only the Asian Games but VVS Laxman is also set to be the head coach of the Indian team on their tour of Ireland in August where they will play three T20I matches.
This is because the BCCI has given Rahul Dravid and his team management of batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey and fielding coach T Dilip, a break as the turnaround time between the end of West Indies tour on August 13 and the start of the Asia Cup 2023 on August 31 is very less.
“They have a long series (in West Indies) and as the team for Ireland is likely to be a second string team it was thought that VVS should go with the team. He will be the coach for the Asian Games too,” a BCCI official was quoted by Indian Express.
This is not the first time Laxman will be the acting head coach of the Indian team. After the Indian team’s semifinal exit from the T20 World Cup last year, Laxman stepped in for the New Zealand series.