New Delhi. The Indian cricket team is scheduled to go on a foreign tour after the ICC T20 World Cup. Team India head coach Rahul Dravid's tenure will end after this tournament and till then there is no information about the reinstatement of Gautam Gambhir or any new coach. VVS Laxman and his support staff at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) may travel with the Indian team for the five-match T20 series starting July 6. Gautam Gambhir is expected to start his tenure as coach from the Sri Lanka tour.
The squad for the Zimbabwe series will be announced later this week, which could be on June 22 or 23. Young players who performed well in the IPL and those on the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) 'target' list are currently attending the camp under Laxman's supervision at the NCA. Gambhir is currently the strongest contender to become the head coach of the senior men's team, having overtaken former women's team head coach WV Raman. The announcement will be a mere formality and could be announced in the next few days.
Gambhir will also get the opportunity to choose his support staff including batting, bowling and fielding coaches. It is understood that Gambhir can start his tenure from mid-July. The Indian team will tour Sri Lanka for a limited overs series in which it has to play three T20 Internationals and as many ODIs.
“There is a possibility that Laxman might go to Zimbabwe with a team full of young players along with some NCA coaches. When Rahul Dravid and other coaches took breaks during their tenure, Laxman and the NCA team have always taken up the responsibility,” a Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) source said on condition of anonymity.
It is also certain that a young team will be sent to Zimbabwe but it will include six to seven members of the T20 World Cup team. But Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma and all-rounder Nitish Reddy seem certain to be selected but Yash Dayal and Harshit Rana may also get a chance for the first time.
Hardik Pandya can be the captain of the team, if he does not ask for rest, otherwise Suryakumar Yadav can be given this responsibility. He led the T20 team in the home match against Australia and the series against South Africa on their soil.
tag: Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman
first published : June 20, 2024, 8:01 pm IST
