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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly activated its split-coaching protocol to manage an incredibly congested international cricketing calendar. Former batting legend VVS Laxman will step in as the head coach of the senior men’s team for the upcoming T20I tour of Zimbabwe and the subsequent 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Regular head coach Gautam Gambhir will sit out both assignments. Gambhir is scheduled to take a brief rest period following the ongoing multi-format tour of England before resuming his full-time duties with the core senior squad for a home white-ball series against the West Indies, which directly overlaps with the continental games.

Overlapping Schedules Force Split

The operational division became necessary due to severe dates clashing. India’s three-match T20I assignment in Harare kicks off on July 23, 2026 - just four days after the grueling tour of England concludes on July 19.

Meanwhile, the cricket discipline at the 2026 Asian Games is locked in to run from September 17 to October 3 at the Kōrogi Sports Park in Japan. Because India's high-profile home series against the West Indies commences on September 27, Gambhir will remain back home with the main squad, while Laxman jets off to defend India's reigning continental crown.

Familiar CoE Support Staff Appointed

VVS Laxman, who serves as the chairman of BCCI’s state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, will be flanked by an interim coaching unit comprising familiar colleagues from the academy setup.

Former Indian spinner Sunil Joshi will assume responsibilities as the bowling coach, while former batsman Hrishikesh Kanitkar has been designated as the batting coach. This identical support unit is expected to manage both the immediate short-format away trip to Harare and the flight to Japan in September.

Proven Track Record with Secondary Squads

This temporary management strategy is a familiar formula for the BCCI. When senior coaching units require breathers or when calendar schedules physically conflict, the board regularly pulls senior administration from the CoE to maintain systemic continuity.

Laxman boasts an exceptional track record when stepping into the hot seat. He previously guided second-string Indian squads to series victories in Ireland and Zimbabwe in 2022, filled in as an emergency cover for Rahul Dravid during a COVID-19 outbreak at the 2022 T20 World Cup, and successfully oversaw India's Gold Medal-winning campaign at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.