Legendary batsman VVS Laxman will replace Rahul Dravid as head coach of the India National Cricket Team for the upcoming tour of Ireland, according to Cricbuzz reports. Also, star batsman KL Rahul has been ruled out of the 2023 Asia Cup.
Team India is set to tour Ireland for a short three-match T20I series. The matches are scheduled to take place at the Malahide in Dublin on 18, 20 and 23 August.
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The coaching staff led by Rahul Dravid consisting of batting coach Vikram Rathour, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey and fielding coach T Dilip will reportedly be rested for the tour of Ireland.
Also Read: IND vs IRE T20 Squad 2023: 1 Player From CSK, 2 From Mumbai Indians, No Representation From 6 IPL Teams
The decision to rest the coaching staff was made taking into account the packed schedule that will see the mega-events of the Asian Cup 2023, the Asian Games 2023 and the World Cup 2023.
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National Cricket Academy director VVS Laxman will serve as India’s manager on the tour of Ireland and will be joined by his NCA coaching staff. He will lead the staff with the batting and bowling coaches, selected from Sitanshu Kotak and Hrishikesh Kanitkar (batting) and Troy Cooley and Sairaj Bahutule (bowling).
Notably, last year, VVS Laxman was also the head coach of India on the tour of Ireland. Like last year, Hardik Pandya will most likely lead the Indian team in the T20I series.
Also Read: IND vs IRE: Rinku Singh Among New Faces To Join India Squad For Ireland Series: Report
Jasprit Bumrah to return to Ireland T20Is, KL Rahul ruled out of Asian Cup
According to the same reports on Cricbuzz, Jasprit Bumrah is expected to make his blockbuster comeback in the upcoming T20I series against Ireland. Reportedly, he has started bowling at full speed in the nets and is about to regain his full fitness.
Also, some reports suggested that middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer will also return in Ireland’s T20Is, but according to the latest reports, there is still a question mark over his availability.
Also Read: Umesh Yadav To Announce His Retirement After IND vs IRE T20 Series Along With These Indian Players
Meanwhile, star batsman KL Rahul, who has been part of India’s leading group for a long period, has been ruled out of the 2023 Asia Cup.
Rahul had suffered a thigh injury while playing in the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore. His injury was severe and he was ruled out of the entire IPL season as well as the ICC World Test Championship final.
KL Rahul underwent successful surgery on his right thigh and is currently undergoing rehab at the NCA. He hasn’t started batting yet and he will most likely miss the 2023 Asia Cup.
The 2023 Asian Cup will be played in a hybrid model in which Pakistan will host 4 games while Sri Lanka will host 9 games. The main tournament is scheduled to be played from August 31 to September 17.
Virat Kohli | Rohit Sharma | Rishabh Pant | KL Raul | Suryakumar Yadav | Sanju Samson | Shreyas Iyer | Yuzvendra Chahal | Jasprit Bumrah