The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has firmly rejected reports suggesting that former India batter VVS Laxman is being considered as the next head coach of the Indian Test team. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia described these claims as completely untrue, stressing that no discussions or decisions have been taken by the board regarding a change in the Test coaching setup. With India’s next red-ball assignment scheduled for Sri Lanka in August 2026, Saikia made it clear that the news doing the rounds has no factual basis.
Speaking on the matter, Saikia said, “This is totally incorrect news going on. This is totally speculative news. Some very reputed news agencies are also flashing the news. There is no truth to it. BCCI straight away denies. People can think all they want, but BCCI has not taken any steps. This is somebody’s figment of imagination; there is no truth in it, and I cannot say anything except that this is factually incorrect and baseless news.” His strong words were aimed at putting an end to rumours about Laxman replacing Gautam Gambhir as the Test coach.
Mixed Results For India In The Red-Ball Format
While India have shown significant progress under Gambhir in white-ball cricket, especially in T20 internationals, their performances in Test cricket have been inconsistent. The team suffered heavy defeats against New Zealand and South Africa, losing both series without a single win. They also endured a disappointing Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign in Australia during the 2024–25 season, where they went down 1–3.
However, there have been some positives as well. India secured convincing 2–0 Test series victories over Bangladesh and the West Indies in successive years. One of their standout performances came in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, where the Shubman Gill-led side managed a hard-fought 2–2 draw, showing resilience against strong opposition.
WTC Pressure And Laxman’s Coaching Background
India’s struggles in Tests have also affected their position in the ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 cycle. With only four wins from nine matches, they currently sit sixth on the points table, despite having multiple series still to play. To remain in contention for the WTC final, India must deliver strong results against Sri Lanka and New Zealand in 2026, followed by the home series against Australia in 2027.
As for VVS Laxman, the former cricketer continues to serve as the head of the National Cricket Academy and has previously stepped in as a stand-in coach on multiple occasions to manage workload concerns. Despite his experience and involvement, the BCCI has reiterated that there is no plan to hand him the Test coaching role at this stage.
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