VVS Laxman. File
| Photo Credit: VEDHAN M

National Cricket Academy head VVS Laxman could be in-charge of the Indian team for the five-match T20 International series against Australia, which will start within a week after the conclusion of the ODI World Cup.

Head coach Rahul Dravid’s contract will run its course at the end of the World Cup and obviously the BCCI has the option of requesting the former India captain to reapply as the board will have to reinvite applications for the post following the norm.

It will be interesting to see if 51-year-old Dravid wants to continue as head coach of the national team, which involves extensive travelling and constant pressure.

There is a possibility that Dravid, who has previously coached IPL teams like Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals, might return to the T20 league fold which has 10 teams.

But it is highly likely that Dravid, as well as the entire squad save Suryakumar Yadav, will be given much-needed rest after a gruelling campaign in which they had to travel more than 10,000 kms across the country.

“VVS Laxman has always been in charge when Rahul has taken a break and same thing is likely to continue for the series just after the World Cup,” a BCCI source told PTI on condition of anonymity.

In case fresh applications are invited, Laxman could be a very strong candidate as BCCI has created a process, where the person in charge of NCA and knows the system and pathways inside out, is prepared for the role.

Most of the members in the T20 squad for the Australia series will comprise of players, who were part of the T20 series in the West Indies, Ireland and the Asian Games as the big boys like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Jasprit Bumrah will be given a break to freshen up for the big ticket series against South Africa where India play three T20Is, as many ODIs and two Tests.

The five-match T20 series against Australia will begin in Visakhapatnam on November 23.

If Laxman comes on board, Sitansu Kotak will be the batting coach. Kotak is also expected to be the coach of India ‘A’ team for the shadow tour of South Africa.

Dubai, Bengaluru and Mumbai among venues for IPL auction

Dubai has emerged as a front-runner to host the Indian Premier League auction for the 2024 season although Bengaluru and Mumbai are also in contention for the event.

The date is yet to be finalised but an IPL official informed that the operation team is doing a recce of various venues.

“It is a 10-team IPL auction now and it becomes very, very difficult to get hundreds of rooms in a same five-star facility which can house the multiple members of the franchises, the various BCCI officials, operations team, broadcast crew. That’s the reason Dubai remains the favourite venue. But as of now, we are not ruling out Indian cities for auction also.” The Women’s Premier League auction will happen on December 9.

England, Bangladesh to play quadrangular U-19 series in Vijaywada

The BCCI is also keeping no stone unturned to ensure that the next batch of U-19s has a good amount of exposure going into the next year’s U-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka.

Right now, the National U-19 One-Day meet is on for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and then a three or four-team Challenger Trophy will be held in Guwahati with the performers of the tournament.

The players who do well in Challengers will then be divided into two Indian teams that will play a U-19 Quadrangular tournament in Vijaywada along with junior teams from England and Bangladesh.

Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Sairaj Bahutule and Munish Bali, the coaching staff of the champion batch of 2022, are once again expected to guide the junior boys for the global meet.