VVS Laxman, who leads the National Cricket Academy (NCA), is expected to lead Team India in the five-match T20I series against Australia, commencing on November 23 in Vishakapatnam, immediately following the 2023 ODI World Cup.
This series will be the third white-ball bilateral contest between the two teams in the subcontinent. A report from PTI says that Rahul Dravid might not coach the team in the T20I series against Australia for two reasons.
First, his coaching contract ends after the World Cup. If India wins, it’s very likely he’ll continue as coach with strong support, maybe even everyone agreeing on it. Coaching the national team has become very tough lately because of the constant pressure and busy schedules.
Rahul Dravid is also a desirable candidate for Indian Premier League (IPL) teams who would gladly have him as part of their coaching staff. He has experience with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the past after retiring as a player.
Moreover, the head coach and star players have been extremely busy in recent months, participating in continuous cricket events starting from the Asia Cup 2023 in Sri Lanka.
Therefore, it’s expected that these key individuals may take a well-deserved rest, allowing the less experienced players to prepare for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
VVS Laxman has regularly acted as a replacement for Rahul Dravid in recent times
If Rahul Dravid decides not to apply for the head coach position when his current contract ends, VVS Laxman could be the leading candidate to take over, similar to how Dravid took the same path a few years ago, overseeing the National Cricket Academy and temporarily managing the senior team.
According to an undisclosed BCCI source who spoke to PTI:
“VVS Laxman has always been in charge when Rahul has taken a break and same thing is likely to continue for the series just after the World Cup.”
Laxman recently led the Indian team. He served as the head coach for the three-game T20I series against Ireland and also during India’s successful Asian Games 2023 run, where they won a gold medal.
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