In a significant development for Indian cricket, VVS Laxman, a revered figure in cricketing circles, has been named as the head coach for India’s short white-ball tour of South Africa. This appointment comes in light of the current national coach, Gautam Gambhir, gearing up for India’s crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour to Australia. The announcement was confirmed by a senior official from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday.
The tour, which features a series of four Twenty20 International (T20I) matches, was not on the original schedule. It was recently formulated through discussions between the BCCI and Cricket South Africa (CSA). This sudden addition to the international calendar follows mutual consultations between the two cricket boards, offering an exciting prospect for fans of both cricketing nations.
India’s itinerary for the series involves matches across four cities in South Africa – Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg. The matches are slated for November 8, 10, 13, and 15 respectively. To accommodate for travel and acclimatization, the Indian squad is set to depart on or around November 3. Meanwhile, preparations for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be in full swing, as the Indian contingent for Australia is scheduled to leave between November 10 and 11.
Under Laxman’s interim leadership, the coaching responsibilities will be supported by skilled personnel from the National Cricket Academy (NCA) based in Bengaluru. Notably, experienced hands like Sairaj Bahutule, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, and Subhadeep Ghosh will be joining Laxman. The trio brings a wealth of coaching experience, having been part of the India Emerging side that played in the Asia Emerging Cup tournament in Oman.
. Additionally, Sitanshu Kotak from Saurashtra and Mazhar Moidu from Kerala, both affiliated with the NCA, are currently accompanying the India A team led by Ruturaj Gaikwad on their tour to Australia.
Amidst this busy cricketing calendar, the BCCI has formalized a 15-member squad for the South African series, to be captained by the dynamic Suryakumar Yadav. The squad announcement, made public on October 25, features a blend of emerging talents and seasoned performers. Alongside Yadav, players like Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Rinku Singh fortify the line-up. The team also sees participation from the likes of promising talents such as Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma, and the versatile Hardik Pandya.
Despite the anticipation surrounding the tour, the scheduling has drawn criticism, particularly for its timings coinciding with India’s domestic cricket season. Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar voiced his concerns in a column for Sportstar, critiquing the timing as inopportune. “Next month, there’s a needless four-match T20 series in South Africa before the tour to Australia. There will also be an ‘A’ team touring Australia next month, so effectively about 50 to 60 players will not be available for their State teams in the premier national tournament, the Ranji Trophy,” Gavaskar remarked, highlighting the challenges posed to domestic teams.
On the flip side, the series offers an opportunity for players to showcase their skills just ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction, potentially setting the stage for robust bidding wars over standout performers.
The T20I squad composition, led by Yadav, reads as follows: 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, and Yash Dayal.
As India gears up for this unexpected but potentially exciting tour, fans and analysts alike will be keenly watching each performance, with hopes pinned on both individual and team excellence. This tour not only provides the players an international platform to display their prowess but also serves as crucial preparatory groundwork in the lead-up to their series down under in Australia.