The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has reportedly decided to rest senior men's national team head coach Gautam Gambhir for the upcoming Asian Games 2026.
Because the multi-sport event directly clashes with a heavily packed international calendar for the senior men's core squad, the board will likely hand over the coaching reins to a trusted veteran.
As per a report in Amar Ujala, mentioned in CricketAddictor website, the current Head of Cricket at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), VVS Laxman, will step up as the stand-in head coach for the continental tournament.
The primary reason behind Gambhir’s absence is a severe logistical overlap in India’s cricketing calendar.
Asian Games 2026 are scheduled to take place later this year, the senior Men in Blue are simultaneously committed to a crucial, high-profile bilateral tour against England.
As the primary head coach, Gambhir must remain embedded with the absolute core senior team (featuring stalwarts like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Jasprit Bumrah) to manage their workloads, tactical preparation, and training programs.
The "B-Squad" Blueprint
Consequently, BCCI will be dispatching a second-string, youth-heavy 'B' squad to the Asian Games 2026 - a strategy mirroring their gold-medal-winning campaign at the 2023 edition in Hangzhou.
Enter VVS Laxman
By naming VVS Laxman as the chief coach for the tour, the BCCI has opted for ultimate stability and familiarity.
Laxman is no stranger to this responsibility. The legendary former Indian batter has regularly stepped out of his desk at the NCA to fill in as the senior team’s head coach during shadow tours and shorter bilateral series whenever the main coaching staff required a developmental break.
Because the Asian Games roster will consist primarily of standout performers from the ongoing IPL 2026 season and rising domestic youngsters, Laxman is the ideal choice. He has closely monitored almost all of these next-generation athletes during their developmental camps and structural training programs at the academy.
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