India's slump in the Test format had given rise to the rumours around Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) head VVS Laxman replacing Gautam Gambhir as head coach. Laxman, who was in charge of the T20I team on recent tour of Zimbabwe, recently dismissed the reports. On August 9, Laxman made a stunning revelation, recalling how he was supposed to become the head coach in 2023 but backed out due to personal reasons, much before Gambhir's appointment.
“In 2023, I was supposed to become the head coach," Laxman said.
“Because of personal reasons, I was not able to take that up. I went and spoke to Jay twice. He understood my reasons. Because of what Jay and the BCCI have given me, the freedom to execute with my vision, it continues with Devajit and other office bearers," he added.
Laxman went on to reveal that after not agreeing to take up the head coach role, he became the head of CoE, formerly National Cricket Academy (NCA) of Bengaluru.
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“I extended for two years, and I committed to the BCCI that here I am not taking up the head coach position, but I will make sure that I establish the CoE, I establish the structure, the processes and the protocols, before I move on," he explained.
How Dravid extended his stay to finish in style
After the 2023 ODI World Cup final which India lost to Australia, Rahul Dravid’s tenure was coming to an end. But, after a phone call from Rohit Sharma, Dravid extended his stay as head coach. Under Dravid, India went on to win the T20 World Cup 2024, ending the drought for an ICC title.
Gambhir’s appointment and achievements
After Dravid left the post, Gambhir was offered the role and he continues to be India’s head coach. In Gambhir’s tenure, India have won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the T20 World Cup 2026. But, in Test cricket, they couldn’t reach the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final. In the current cycle, India are not among the top-placed teams either ahead of the Test series against Sri Lanka.
Laxman clears the air
Laxman ruled out the rumours of tussle between Indian team management and the CoE where players are sent to do their rehabilitation. Recently, Jasprit Bumrah and Sai Sudharsan were named in the Test squad for Sri Lanka subject to fitness. Both of them have been ruled out the Sri Lanka tour. Earlier, Hardik Pandya had been declared fit before another injury extended his absence from the team. Harshit Rana’s return to action was short-lived too as he got injured again and returned to CoE.
But, Laxman says that there is clear communication between the Indian team management including physios and the CoE. They also monitor fast bowlers via an Athlete Monitoring System (AMS), keeping a close look at bowlers' workloads, how many overs they are bowling during the off-season as well.