VVS Laxman will take charge of team India post the conclusion of the Caribbean islands tour, when India travels to Ireland for a series of three T20Is. This tour comes after India’s recent loss to Australia in the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final in early June.
Presently, India is leading 1-0 in the ongoing two-match Test series against the West Indies, having defeated them by an innings and 141 runs.
VVS Laxman will be India's head coach in Zimbabwe: BCCI secretary Jay Shah
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 12, 2022
During the West Indies tour, Rahul Dravid is serving as the head of India’s coaching staff. However, he, along with batting coach Vikram Rathour and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, among others, will not be accompanying the team to Ireland.
They are set to return from the United States after the T20 leg of the tour concludes. In Ireland, VVS Laxman, the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), will take on the role of head coach. The report suggests that the batting and bowling coaches for the Ireland tour might be selected from Sitanshu Kotak, Hrishikesh Kanitkar (batting), Troy Cooley, and Sairaj Bahutule (bowling).
Notably, Laxman had previously served as head coach during India’s two-match T20 tour of Ireland the previous year when he had temporarily replaced Dravid. The all-rounder Hardik Pandya is expected to lead the squad in Ireland, as Rohit Sharma has not made a comeback in T20Is since the conclusion of the 2022 T20 World Cup.
The Ireland series holds particular significance for Indian fans due to the potential return of premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah after a lengthy injury layoff. Reports indicate that Bumrah has been bowling about 8-10 overs a day, showing full-throttle performance in the nets without any signs of discomfort.
There are chances that he might even participate in practice matches at the NCA, where camps are currently underway. Additionally, Prasidh Krishna, who had undergone surgery for a lumbar stress fracture during the IPL earlier this year, has also resumed bowling.
