VVS Laxman to Coach India in South Africa T20Is: Former India batsman VVS Laxman, who is the chief of BCCI’s National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, will fly with the Indian team as interim head coach to South Africa, where they will a four-match T20I series.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led team will take on the Proteas in a four-T20I series, from November 8 to 15. The matches will be played in Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg on November 8, 10, 13, and 15, respectively.
VVS Laxman to Coach India in South Africa T20Is
Laxman will be the interim head coach for the Men In Blue on their trip to South Africa since Gautam Gambhir, the regular head coach, will fly to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, which will commence on November 22.
A BCCI official confirmed this development to Cricbuzz on Monday. The team will leave for South Africa on November 4 while the Test squad will depart for Australia on November 10-11.
The other coaching staff at the NCA will join Laxman in South Africa, including Sairaj Bahutule, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Subhadeep Ghosh. The trio were recently part of the coaching staff of the India Emerging side that participated in the Asia Emerging Cup tournament in Oman.
Further, two other members of the NCA staff, Sitanshu Kotak and Mazhar Moidu, are with the India A team, led by Ruturaj Gaikwad, who will take on Australia A in two four-day first-class fixtures before playing the Indian senior men’s side ahead of the first Test in Perth.
IND vs SA: India T20I squad vs South Africa:
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axa: :r Patel, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Tilak Varma, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy
Meanwhile, former India captain and legendary opener Sunil Gavaskar has criticized the scheduling of this T20I series in South Africa as it clashes with the Ranji Trophy tournament.
“Next month, there’s a needless four-match T20 series in South Africa before the tour to Australia. There will also be an ‘A’ team touring Australia next month, so effectively about 50 to 60 players will not be available for their State teams in the premier national tournament, the Ranji Trophy,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
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