Asia Cup 2022: VVS Laxman named India’s interim head coach
Former batsman VVS Laxman has been appointed as the interim head coach of the Indian team for the Asia Cup 2022 Twenty20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Laxman, who is the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), takes charge of the Rohit Sharma-led team in the absence of Rahul Dravid, who has tested positive for COVID-19.
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“Mr VVS Laxman, Head Cricket, NCA will be the interim Head Coach for Team India (Senior Men) for the upcoming ACC Asia Cup 2022, to be played in the UAE,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a media advisory on Wednesday (August 24).
“Mr Laxman, who travelled with the Indian team that played the ODI series in Zimbabwe will oversee the team’s preparation in the absence of Mr Rahul Dravid, who tested positive for COVID-19 before the team’s departure to the UAE. Mr Dravid will join the team once he tests negative and is cleared by the BCCI Medical Team,” it added.
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“Team India Head Coach Rahul Dravid has tested positive for COVID-19 in a routine test conducted ahead of the team’s departure to the UAE for Asia Cup 2022. Mr. Dravid is under the supervision of the BCCI Medical team and has mild symptoms. He will join the team once he returns with a negative COVID-19 report,” the BCCI had said on Tuesday.
Laxman has linked up with the squad in Dubai along with vice-captain KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda and Avesh Khan, who travelled from Harare, the Indian cricket board said.
Asia Cup opens on Saturday (August 27) and India is scheduled to play its first match on Sunday against Pakistan. Six teams are participating in the tournament, which is being played after four years. India has won the title seven times.
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India squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan.
Group A: India, Pakistan, Hong Kong.
Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan.
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