Former Saurashtra cricket veteran and current India A head coach, Sitansu Kotak, has been selected to lead the Indian cricket squad for the upcoming three T20Is scheduled to take place in Ireland from August 18 to 23.
The decision to rest the regular head coach Rahul Dravid, along with his coaching staff including batting coach Vikram Rathour and bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, has been made in light of the important tournaments ahead, such as the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup later in the year.
Initially, VVS Laxman, the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), was anticipated to serve as the interim head coach for this Ireland series, much like he did the previous year. However, Laxman opted to remain in Bengaluru to oversee the Emerging camp, thereby affording Sitanshu Kotak, the batting coach at NCA, the opportunity to step in.
Sitansu Kotak already served as the head coach for India A
Kotak has a commendable background, having already served as the head coach for India A for a couple of years. A significant relief for the Indian cricket team is the return of Jasprit Bumrah, who has been declared fit and will lead the side during the T20Is against Ireland.
Bumrah, who had been sidelined due to injury for nearly a year, has re-emerged at a crucial juncture, aligning perfectly with a pivotal three-month period that lies ahead for Team India in ODIs. Prasidh Krishna is also being closely monitored as a potential backup option for the Asia Cup.
During this Ireland series, players like Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Tilak Varma, and others will seize the opportunity to showcase their skills, thereby bolstering their chances of securing positions in India’s primary white-ball squads in the foreseeable future.
Indian Squad For Ireland T20Is
Jasprit Bumrah (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson as wicketkeeper, Jitesh Sharma as wicketkeeper, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan.
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