VVS Laxman To Be India's Head Coach For South Africa Series

VVS Laxman is set to step in as the head coach for India's T20 series against South Africa. This isn't new for Laxman, as he has previously filled in for Gautam Gambhir during various series, including the New Zealand tour after the T20 World Cup 2022 and the Australia T20 series at home following the ODI World Cup last year.

The four-match T20 series against South Africa will commence on November 8. The matches are scheduled to be held in Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg on November 8, 10, 13, and 15 respectively. Laxman will be working alongside Sairaj Bahutule, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, and Subhadeep Ghosh from the National Cricket Academy (NCA).

Young Squad for South Africa

India's squad for this series features a blend of youth and experience. Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team with players like Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson providing experience. The squad also includes promising talents such as Abhishek Sharma and Tilak Varma.

The injuries to Shivam Dube, Riyan Parag, and Kuldeep Yadav have been setbacks. However, with seasoned players like Axar Patel and captain Surya himself, India aims to perform well despite unfamiliar conditions in South Africa.

Coaching Adjustments

Laxman's appointment comes as Gambhir and his team are accompanying the Test squad to Australia. This includes Abhishek Nayar, Ryan ten Doeschate, Morne Morkel, and T Dilip. Consequently, Laxman has been called upon once more to guide the Indian team through this series.

The coaching staff for this tour also includes Bahutule who was recently involved with the Emerging team in the Asia Cup T20. Sitanshu Kotak and Mazhar Moidu are currently with India A in Australia.

Series Addition

This four-match series wasn't initially part of the Future Tours Programme (FTP). It was later added following a mutual agreement between BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA). Due to scheduling conflicts with the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, several key players are unavailable.

Despite these challenges, India's young squad is expected to gain valuable experience from this tour. The mix of emerging talent alongside experienced campaigners should provide a balanced approach against South Africa.

The Indian squad for the South Africa T20 series 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, Yash Dayal.