Gautam Gambhir set to become India’s Head Coach as team prepares for tours of Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka
India will tour Zimbabwe for a 5-match T20I series starting on July 6, followed by a white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, featuring 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is. Gautam Gambhir is expected to take over as India’s new head coach in late July when the Sri Lanka tour begins. Gambhir, a former Indian cricketer, is currently the leading candidate for the job, surpassing former India women’s coach WV Raman. Meanwhile, VVS Laxman, head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), will lead the young Indian team in the T20I series against Zimbabwe. The squad for this series will be announced on June 22 or 23.
Laxman to Lead Until Gambhir Takes Over
With Rahul Dravid’s tenure ending after the T20 World Cup, VVS Laxman and the NCA support staff will accompany the Indian team. Gambhir’s appointment as head coach is seen as a formality, and he will have ample time to select his own support staff. There are already rumors that Gambhir wants Jonty Rhodes as his fielding coach, but the rest of the coaching staff is yet to be finalized. Gambhir will officially start his new role with the Sri Lanka tour in July.
“There is a possibility that Laxman along with some of the NCA coaches will travel with the new look squad to Zimbabwe. Laxman and the NCA team have always filled in whenever Rahul Dravid and the first team coaches have been taking periodic breaks during their stint,” a BCCI source told PTI.
Leadership in Zimbabwe: Hardik or Surya?
The captain for the India cricket team’s Zimbabwe tour is yet to be decided. Hardik Pandya or Suryakumar Yadav is expected to lead the young team, which will feature many IPL 2024 performers like Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Yash Dayal, Mayank Yadav, Riyan Parag, and Prabhsimran Singh.
Predicted India Squad for Zimbabwe Series
– Ruturaj Gaikwad
– Rinku Singh
– Sanju Samson (wk)
– Abhishek Sharma
– Nitish Reddy
– Harshit Rana
– Yash Dayal
– Khaleel Ahmed
– Rinku Singh
– Avesh Khan
– Mayank Yadav
– Yuzvendra Chahal
– Ravi Bishnoi
– Riyan Parag
– Rajat Patidar
– Prabhsimran Singh (wk)
Indian cricket fans can look forward to an exciting season with new leadership and fresh talent as the team embarks on these international tours.