Former Indian batsman VVS Laxman is expected to remain as the leader of the National Cricket Academy (NCA). A report on ESPN Cricinfo on Thursday (August 15) states that Laxman, whose three-year contract was due to finish in September, will now continue for at least another year.
The latest details indicate that the former Indian player, who participated in 134 Test matches throughout his 16-year international career, will likely be supported by his group of coaches, including Shitanshu Kotak, Sairaj Bahutule, and Hrishikesh Kanitkar.
The announcement that Laxman’s contract is being extended comes just before the opening of a new, advanced NCA campus on the edge of Bengaluru.
Previously, in a conversation with the Times of India, BCCI secretary Jay Shah suggested that Laxman’s contract would be extended by mentioning, “His contract is set to end in September, but he will stay on.”
Laxman took over as the head of the NCA after Rahul Dravid left the position to become the head coach of the Indian national team in 2021. Over the past three years, Laxman has not only led the NCA but also acted as the temporary head coach for India in some limited-overs series when Dravid was unavailable. His most recent role with the Indian team was during their five-match series in Zimbabwe last month.
With Shubman Gill as the leader, his team defeated Sikandar Raza’s team with a score of 4-1.
Last month, it was said that Laxman does not want to renew his contract. Instead, Vikram Rathour, a former batting coach for India, might take over. There were also rumors that Laxman was talking to IPL teams about being a mentor, but that’s not possible now because of his responsibilities at the NCA.
If Laxman agrees to extend his contract, he might go with the Indian team as head coach to South Africa for a four-game T20I series in November. Gautam Gambhir is the head coach of India, but he will be in Australia with the main team getting ready for the five-game Border-Gavaskar Trophy that begins on November 22 in Perth.
