VVS Laxman in place of Rahul Dravid, India to have a new set of coaching staff for Ireland T20Is: Report

Former India batter and current head of National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, VVS Laxman will be India's head coach for Ireland bilaterals. Other NCA coaches Sairaj Bahutule, Sitanshu Kotak, and Munish Bali will be a part of the support staff.

Captain Rohit Sharma, former captain Virat Kohli, opener KL Rahul, wicktkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami are not the only high-profile names not a part of the Indian squad for the two-match T20I series in Ireland. India's regular support staff headed by Rahul Dravid will also not feature in the bilateral series. Dravid, bowling coach Paras Mhambrey, batting coach Vikram Rathour and fielding coach T Dilip will be busy with the Indian side for the 'fifth Test' in England and the T20Is and ODIs that follow.

VVS Laxman is set to coach India in place of Rahul Dravid in Ireland (HT COLLAGE)

Former India batter and current head of National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, VVS Laxman will be India's head coach for Ireland bilaterals. Other NCA coaches Sairaj Bahutule, Sitanshu Kotak, and Munish Bali will be a part of the support staff as per a report in the ESPNCricinfo.

Dravid, the other regular support staff members will reach England early to prepare for the Birmingham Test, which was canceled last year due to Covid-19 concerns. The high-profile names like Rohit, Kohli, Bumrah are also set to join them and play practice matches in England.

The two T20 warm-up matches that India are slated to play against Northamptonshire and Derbyshire ahead of the three-match series in England are also likely to clash with the Birmingham Test, which means Laxman and his NCA coaching staff might stay back and assist the team for those two matches too.

Interestingly, Laxman took over as the head of NCA after Dravid was given charge of the national team last year. The former was also with the India U19 team that won a record ffith title in Wet Indies earlier this year.

This is not the first time two different India teams with a different set of support staff members have been formed. Last year, Dravid was sent as the head coach of a Shikhar Dhawan-led young Indian side to the Sri Lanka tour when the senior Indian side under Ravi Shastri and then captain Virat Kohli was in England for the Test series.

Hardik Pandya will lead India's 17-member squad for the two T20Is in Dublin on June 26 and 28. The only new face in the side is Maharashtra right-hand batter Rahul Tripathi, who was rewarded for his stellar batting during this edition of IPL where he scored more than 400 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Sanju Samson, whose profligacy has been well documented over the years, gets another shot at redemption, as he made a comeback for the series, having guided Rajasthan Royals to the IPL final.

Also back in the squad is Suryakumar Yadav, who had sustained a wrist fracture.Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been named vice-captain for the series.