VVS Laxman will travel with the Indian men’s cricket team to Japan and act as the head coach for the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya after Gautam Gambhir stays back with the senior side for India’s home ODI series against the West Indies.
Coaching arrangement and support staff
The Sports Ministry’s list of coaches shows Laxman — the former India batter and current Director of Cricket at BCCI’s Centre of Excellence — will take charge of the men’s contingent for the multi-sport event set to begin later this month. He will be assisted by former India spinner Sunil Joshi, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Subhadeep Ghosh.
Gambhir will remain with India’s senior team as they prepare to host the West Indies for a three-match ODI series, the first ODI of which is scheduled for 27 September. The split in responsibilities ensures continuity for the full-strength international side while providing experienced leadership for the Asian Games squad.
India aim to defend T20 gold
India enter the Asian Games as defending champions in both men’s and women’s cricket. The men’s competition will start on 24 September, with India’s opening men’s match slated for 28 September. The men’s team will compete under captain Shreyas Iyer and are placed to face the second-placed team from Group A, which includes Afghanistan, Japan and Nepal.
The Indian women’s side, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will also defend their title. The women’s team will join the tournament at the quarter-final stage and are scheduled to meet the host nation, Japan, in that round. Amol Muzumdar will continue as head coach of the women’s team, backed by bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi and fielding coach Munish Bali, according to the Sports Ministry’s list.
Squad and composition
The men’s 15-member squad named for the Asian Games features a mix of established internationals and younger talent. The full list announced for the event is:
- Shreyas Iyer (captain)
- Abhishek Sharma
- Sanju Samson
- Ishan Kishan
- Shivam Dube
- Tilak Varma
- Nitish Kumar Reddy
- Axar Patel
- Washington Sundar
- Varun Chakravarthy
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Harshit Rana
- Arshdeep Singh
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
The squad blends frontline pace and spin options with specialist batters and all-rounders. Notably, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh provide India with their premier fast bowling resources, while Axar Patel and Washington Sundar bolster spin and batting depth.
| Role | Representative names |
|---|---|
| Batting leaders | Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma |
| All-rounders | Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel |
| Pace attack | Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana |
| Spin options | Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi |
Context and implications
Laxman brings prior Asian Games experience to the role, having coached the Indian men’s team at the 2023 Hangzhou Games where India claimed the gold medal. His appointment for Aichi-Nagoya provides a familiar hand for a side with title-defence ambitions, while Gambhir’s presence with the senior ODI squad ensures the national team’s ongoing bilateral commitments are managed by the head coach.
The Asian Games assignment offers fringe and emerging players an important platform to showcase their skills on a high-profile multi-sport stage. For selectors and team management, performances in such tournaments can influence future national selection, particularly with the ICC calendar remaining crowded.
With the cricket event beginning 24 September and India’s first match on 28 September, Laxman’s charge will have limited time to prepare the side in Japan. The balance of experience and youth in the squad, combined with the support staff named by the Sports Ministry, will be central to India’s bid to retain the T20 crown.
