Mon Nov 04 06:25:11 UTC 2024: ## VVS Laxman Appointed as India’s Head Coach for T20I Series Against South Africa
**Durban, South Africa** – In a surprising turn of events, VVS Laxman, head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), will lead the Indian team as head coach for the upcoming four-match T20I series against South Africa, starting on November 8th. This comes after current head coach Gautam Gambhir was assigned to the upcoming Test series against Australia.
The decision was made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday, following the recent scheduling of the South Africa series. Gambhir, who led India to their first-ever Test series loss against New Zealand last week, will be focusing on the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
The South African tour will see Suryakumar Yadav leading the Indian squad, comprising a mix of experienced players and emerging talents. The team will be departing around November 4th, while the squad for the Australia series will leave on November 10th or 11th.
Laxman will be assisted by a coaching staff from the NCA, including Sairaj Bahutule (head coach), Hrishikesh Kanitkar (batting coach), and Subhadeep Ghosh (fielding coach). This series holds significance for the upcoming IPL 2025 mega auction, as it provides franchises with a platform to assess the potential of India’s T20 stars.
The 15-member Indian squad for the South Africa 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
The four T20Is will be played in Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg, giving India a chance to test their skills against the 2024 T20 World Cup finalists.
First Piper 