The Indian team is set to tour South Africa next month, where they will play a four-match T20 series. The squad for this series has already been announced. During this time, India’s schedule will be quite busy. While one team will be occupied with a Test series against New Zealand, another team will be touring South Africa. For this tour, the BCCI has selected players who are not part of the Test setup, with Suryakumar Yadav expected to lead the squad. Fans were curious about how head coach Gautam Gambhir would manage to travel to South Africa just two days after the New Zealand series. Now, a major update has surfaced suggesting that it will be VVS Laxman, not Gambhir, who will accompany the Indian team on the South Africa tour.
Laxman to be Interim Coach for the South Africa Tour
According to media reports, Laxman will serve as the coach for the Indian team on the South Africa tour. Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir will travel to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after the New Zealand series. The four T20 internationals between India and South Africa will be played in Durban, Gqeberha, Centurion, and Johannesburg. The first T20 will be on November 8, the second on November 10, the third on November 13, and the fourth on November 15. The team heading to South Africa is expected to depart around November 3, while the team going to Australia is likely to leave around November 10-11.
Support Staff Accompanying Laxman
Reports also claim that coaches working at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) like Sairaj Bahutule, Rishikesh Kanitkar, and Subhadeep Ghosh will join the coaching staff for the South Africa tour. India has included pace bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak and middle-order batsman Ramandeep Singh in the T20 international squad for South Africa.
Mayank and Shivam Not Selected Due to Injuries
Pace bowler Mayank Yadav and middle-order batsman Shivam Dube, who recently debuted against Bangladesh, were unavailable due to injuries. To strengthen the pace attack, selectors chose left-arm pacer Vijaykumar, alongside T20 World Cup winner Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, and Yash Dayal. Vijaykumar Vyshak, from Karnataka, has performed well in the past few IPL seasons after debuting for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2023.
Chance for Ramandeep to Shine
T20 World Cup winner Hardik Pandya will be the most experienced fast bowler alongside captain Suryakumar Yadav in the 15-member squad. With Dube unavailable, Ramandeep Singh may get a chance in the middle order, known for his powerful hitting. The middle order will also feature mainstays like captain Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, and Rinku Singh. Ramandeep played a crucial role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ IPL 2024 win with his impressive late hitting. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson are expected to open the innings. Axar Patel, Varun Chakravarthy, and Ravi Bishnoi are the three main spinners, while Jitesh Sharma will be the backup wicketkeeper for Sanju Samson.
Indian Squad for Four T20s Against South Africa:
Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal