Published on: Jul 7, 2026 4:05 pm IST|Updated on: Jul 7, 2026 4:05 pm IST
Team India’s cricket calendar is busy as usual. Managing players’ and staff’s workload has been a cumbersome process in recent times, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has managed to find ways to keep the players and support staff fresh by giving them necessary breaks whenever required. In a significant coaching update, the BCCI has decided to hand the coaching reins of the senior men’s national team to Indian cricket legend VVS Laxman for two upcoming assignments: the T20I tour of Zimbabwe and the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
This won’t be the first time former Indian batting great VVS Laxman will be taking the coaching reins of the team on an interim basis. He coached the Indian side on their previous Irish tour that saw Hardik Pandya lead the side, and most recently, he took over the reins during India’s Tour of South Africa for the T20Is, which were played right after the T20 World Cup 2024.
The decision to rest Gautam Gambhir comes down to an overlapping international schedule. The 2026 Asian Games, which will feature cricket as a core continental event in Japan, are scheduled to run at the exact same time as India’s home bilateral series against the West Indies, starting September 27. With the senior squad expected to stay back at home to face the West Indies under Gambhir’s coaching, the BCCI has taken a call to hand VVS Laxman the coaching duties during the crucial tournament in Japan.
The coaching staff led by Laxman will feature some influential names as members of the backroom staff. The BCCI has named a highly experienced and familiar group of coaches from the BCCI Centre of Excellence (formerly the National Cricket Academy).
The support staff traveling to Zimbabwe and later to Japan includes:
Bowling Coach: Sunil Joshi (Former Indian spin bowler and national selector)
As mentioned above, Laxman isn’t new to coaching Team India. He has briefly coached the side in the past and has an unbeaten track record whenever he has filled in as an interim head coach in the past. Take a close look at Laxman’s accolades as Team India’s interim head coach.
December 2024: In his last major stint, he traveled with the team to South Africa, securing a stunning 3-1 win in the 4-match T20I series right after the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Take a look at Team India’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games and Zimbabwe Tour, which includes 3 T20Is.