Its time for India’s Head Coach Rahul Dravid to take rest ahead of the Asia Cup. The National Cricket Academy staff including head VVS Laxman will step in for the Zimbabwe tour.
VVS Laxman will take the feather of the head coach on the week-long tour of Zimbabwe. India’s 16-member team departed on Saturday morning, for Harare. However, Washington Sundar is not in that team. He is presently touring UK for a county stint.
Laxman will be stand in head coach for Rahul Dravid. BCCI has granted rest to Rahul Dravid after consecutive tours of the UK and the Caribbean. Moreover, the batting coach Vikram Rathour and thr bowling Paras Mhambrey also got a break for the short tour. It will start from August 18 and will continue till 22nd.
Dravid along with the full-time coaching staff will return before the Asia Cup at UAE. The rested players expectedly will follow the same path. India will face Pakistan in the first match at the tournament, on August 28, at Dubai International Stadium.
U-19 WC winning coach Hrishikesh Kanitkar to assist VVS Laxman
NCA support staff of Hrishikesh Kanitkar will assist Laxman as the batting coach and Sairaj Bahutule as the bowling coach In Zimbabwe.
Nonetheless, both Laxman and Bahutule took part in the Ireland T20I series. Not only that, they were in the first T20I in England too. However, this will be Kanitkar’s first tour with the senior boys.
At the initial phase of the year, Kanitkar served as head coach of the India Under-19 team. It won the U-19 World Cup in the West Indies, beating England.
Nonetheless, KL Rahul will lead India against the Zimbabwe. Rahul was later included in the squad, following fitness test earlier in the week. Shikhar Dhawan, who has been in the team, is set to be vice-captain.
The squad has four players who has booked their flight for UAE Asia Cup right after the Zimbabwe tour. They are, Rahul, Axar Patel, Avesh Khan and Deepak Hooda.
In 2016, India last played an ODI series in Zimbabwe. After that, this will be the first time the duo will face each other. However, this will be a part of the ICC ODI Super League. The Harare Sports Club will hold all the three matches.
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