VVS Laxman will serve as the head coach for India’s upcoming T20 series in South Africa, stepping in as Gautam Gambhir heads to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed this decision on Monday.
The four-match T20 International series, arranged between the BCCI and Cricket South Africa, will take place in Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg on November 8, 10, 13, and 15. The Indian team is set to depart around November 3.
Supporting Laxman will be Sairaj Bahutule as head coach, with Hrishikesh Kanitkar as batting coach and Subhadeep Ghosh overseeing fielding. All three recently worked with the India Emerging side at the Asia Emerging Cup in Oman.
The BCCI announced a 15-member squad for the T20 series, led by Suryakumar Yadav, on October 25. However, the scheduling of the tour has drawn criticism, particularly from former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who pointed out that it coincides with India’s domestic season, potentially impacting the Ranji Trophy.
Despite the criticism, the tour offers players a chance to make a case for their value ahead of the IPL auction.
The T20I squad includes Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, and Yash Dayal
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